Key findings

  • History offers some guidance, though not much comfort. Previous episodes of this kind were resolved only after a combination of sustained ex...
  • The economic stakes are considerable. Conservative estimates suggest that disruption on this scale could shave between 0.3 and 0.7 percentag...
  • Technology is both part of the problem and part of the solution. The same digital tools that enable faster coordination also create new vuln...
  • Not everyone shares this assessment. Some analysts contend that the risks have been overstated and that markets have already priced in most...

Summary

Local communities, meanwhile, are adapting in ways that rarely make headlines. Municipal authorities, civil-society groups and private firms have developed informal networks that in some cases respond faster than national institutions.