Spain, Portugal and Andorra power outages - How can the UK be prepared?
The recent nation-wide power outages in Spain, Portugal and Andorra have highlighted the critical need for better preparedness in the face of large-scale power disruptions here in the UK.
As detailed in this excellent rapid analysis from our colleagues in the British Red Cross, the events in the Iberian Peninsula had significant humanitarian impacts - affecting transportation, communications, medical facilities, public order, and economic activities.
Similar disruptions are becoming more frequent on our own doorstep, such as the recent power failures at Heathrow Airport and earlier this week affecting the London Underground Network. It is imperative that not just our government and big institutions, but our community leaders too are taking proactive steps, planning to protect people when, rather than if this happens here.
As an organisation concerned with advocating for people being at the heart of such plans, this is a good opportunity to raise awareness about what the Voluntary and Community Sector (VCS) could be doing to prepare and we’d love to hear your thoughts too.
We’d suggest that at community level we are best placed to, should be and likely are thinking about:
Support for vulnerable populations
The VCS should leverage its understanding of vulnerable groups, including the elderly, individuals with disabilities, and those reliant on medical equipment, to advocate for and plan access to backup power solutions and necessary supplies during power outages.
Effective communication
Digital communication strategies are likely to fail during power outages. We should be identifying and developing alternative channels and resources within our communities now, to ensure timely and accurate information dissemination when a crisis hits.
Community education on essential goods and Low-Fi solutions
We can educate the public on stockpiling essential goods like non-perishable food, water, and wind-up radios. We should promote knowledge of how to live low-fi, planning analogue fail-safes to ensure resilience when digital systems fail.
As things currently stand, we get a sense that we’re not as prepared for this type of emergency in the UK as we could be, neither at national nor local level. Not all organisations will have had the time and resources to do enough thinking on this, which is why we’re really pleased that British Red Cross are sharing this clear and insightful summary of lessons.
Read the British Red Cross’s rapid analysis of the Spain and Portugal power outages here.