In an increasingly volatile world shaped by extreme weather, power outages and cyberattacks, being prepared for an emergency is no longer seen as paranoia. Instead, governments are actively encouraging the public to stock up on emergency supplies to last for three days.

At the end of October, the U.K. government launched its "Be Ready” campaign, urging households to take to small steps to prepare for emergencies. It was unsettling to hear, but the public took it in its stride without pressing the panic button.

While I half expected grocery aisles to descend into chaos, the public’s response has been remarkably calm and considered. People are clearly listening, but without the fear.

According to research by Worldpanel by Numerator and reported by the BBC, following the campaign, sales of hand sanitizer, bottled water, and tinned and jarred items rose by 83%, 67%, and 37%, respectively, indicating that hygiene is top of the agenda.

The story is slightly different in the U.S., where the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) launched its Ready Campaign in 2003, empowering and educating Americans to “prepare for, respond to and mitigate emergencies and disasters.”

Although the U.S. is ahead in urging households to assemble an emergency kit, both share the same remit: encouraging people to have sufficient supplies for a few days.

, households are being urged to keep three days’ worth of food and water on hand. That equates to three liters of drinking water per person, per day, excluding water for washing. As for food, the focus is on non-perishables that don’t require refrigeration or cooking if the power cuts out.

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