Prepare for the worst

    When nations are faced with great catastrophes, it is common for the accusations to start flying before the dust even settles or any debris has been cleared.

    Commentators are quick to raise a cry over government action or lack thereof, or whether a disaster could have been averted or its deadly consequences mitigated. This is especially true when many lives are lost and many more are at stake, and society is forced to cope with something terrible for the first time.

    There is always a steep learning curve when it comes to responding to calamities of this kind, and Mother Nature does an expert job of keeping us on our toes. The ability to expect the unexpected should be considered something of a virtue for public officials.

    The Indian Ocean tsunami that wreaked havoc in southern Thailand and other countries is a perfect example of why.

    New policies, organizations and procedures will spring up amid the devastation. Expensive new technologies will be deployed and bureaucrats shuffled around. The world of officialdom will appear to be in control, actively responding to needs and crises as they arise.

    As a society, the people of Thailand have demonstrated that they can come together and help one another in times of crisis. But we must now work much more resolutely to prepare for possible disasters, no matter how high or low their probability. We cannot just focus on the next tsunami because it is likely that the next big catastrophe could be something totally different and unexpected. We must prepare for the worst, no matter what form it takes.