Crisis alarm in Austria: every second feels unprepared!

Crisis alarm in Austria: every second feels unprepared!

In view of the increasing frequency of crisis scenarios such as blackouts, drought or floods, many Austrians are faced with the question of how well they are prepared for such emergencies. A current survey, which was integrally carried out by the market and opinion research institute in June 2025, under 1,000 representative participants: on the inside, shows alarming results: only half of the respondents feel sufficiently prepared for possible crises. According to [VOL.AT] (https://www.vol.at/blackout-vorsorge-längelhaft-halefen-der-oesterreicher-uncherichend-zreicht-zreicht-zerchenzenzenzenzenzenzenzenzenzenzend-zent-zent-zenten. 89% of the participants that at least one serious crisis scenario is likely.

The surveyed floods (60%), forest fires (53%) and drought (52%) are particularly common. In contrast, only 28 % consider an armed conflict in their region to be realistic, while natural disasters such as earthquakes or vertebral storms are only perceived by 22 % of the population as a threat. This shows a worrying gap between the perception of the risks and individual preparation.

preparation and knowledge deficits

The survey reveals that almost half of the respondents indicate that they are hardly or not prepared at all. Only 9% feel "very good", while 44% indicate that they are "rather good". Many have already bought basic emergency items such as flashlights, food supplies or medication. For the future, 46% of respondents plan to store water, 47% food and 39% medication. However, only 13% have actively informed themselves about official recommendations for emergency provision, while 26% intend to do so in the near future.

Bertram Barth, Managing Director of Integral, expressed that there is a high need for support in dealing with crisis scenarios. In addition to individual preparation, state emergency prevention is also of great importance, such as bbk.bund.de. Accordingly, the emergency provision is based on risk analyzes that help to systematically evaluate the consequences of emergencies and derive appropriate measures.

The role of companies

The importance of emergency prevention also extends to companies where a comprehensive crisis management strategy is required. According to [Environmental-nachhaltigkeit.com] (https://umwelt-nachhaltigkeit.com/notfallvorsorge-und-krisenmanagement-im- Umweltman-ein-ein-umfassende-Perspective/), companies must protect the operational processes and their environment. The identification of potential environmental risks and the development of comprehensive emergency plans play a crucial role here. Such plans should define clear procedures and responsibilities and update regularly in order to be able to react quickly in an emergency.

Integrated crisis management not only includes the immediate response to environmental crises, but also measures to restore environmental integrity and communication with all interested parties. Entrepreneurs and managing directors have a special responsibility because they have the obligation not only to protect their employees, but also the environment and the public.