CRJ 19:4 is out now!

Our December 2024 issue is now live. The digital edition can be accessed on the CRJ website, whereas hard copies will be mailed out shortly.

This issue marks 20 years since Emily Hough and her team brought the magazine to life. Several pieces explore the last two decades of resilience and response around the world. The issue also explores future threats in the shape of cognitive warfare, examines issues within aviation security, analyses climate and hazard threats, and finally looks at how communities and crises intersect with response and resilience. 

Comment: Phil Trendall looks at how organisations are unable to balance risk and reputation in an adequate manner, no matter what their past experiences are: “Anyone who has watched evidence at a public inquiry in the UK will be familiar with the well-known inability of organisations to 'learn lessons'.” Matt Minshall’s comment piece echoes the sentiment, albeit on a grander scale. He notes that humanity is inviting multiple hazards onto itself as time goes by and as it continues to ignore nature. 

Twenty years of CRJ: The Journal turned 20 this November, and this edition marks not just two decades of our work, but also two decades of the emergency, crisis and continuity domains. On p20, Publishing Editor Luavut Zahid interviews CRJ’s founder, Editor Emeritus Emily Hough. Christine Jessup examines the gap between theory and practice in crisis management as she reflects on CRJ’s work during the last 20 years. Amanda Coleman turns the conversation towards disaster communication. She writes: “Reflecting on the past 20 years, we have had numerous opportunities to learn through debriefs, public inquiries, and report reviews. While we prepare and strive to prevent the emergence of crisis situations, they remain an unpleasant reality, and our response is crucial.’

Meanwhile, Nathan Hazlehurst goes a step further than many of our authors and takes on the last century of emergency preparedness. Jeannie Barr looks at how the sector has changed, especially because of social media and technology. 

Lucy Cuthbertson revisits the policies and laws that were implemented right after the September 11, 2001, attacks and how they shaped a lopsided and inadequate counterterrorism response – the ripple effects of which continue even today. 

Jeremy Collymore examines how Hurricane Ivan affected planned development in the Caribbean regions and how the influence is being felt two decades later. Elton Cunha similarly looks at the last two decades of risk and disaster management in Brazil. 

Onto climate and hazards: William Peterson explores the 2024 hurricane season in the USA. Annabel Sofer looks at Zambia’s persistent droughts caused by water pollution, resource exploitation, and turbulent weather. Meanwhile, Zixin Xiong reviews climate justice’s ethical sociopolitical dynamics and how they relate to policymaking. 

Then we come to aviation security, where Andy Blackwell and John Wood highlight the need for a systems approach to aviation security in an increasingly volatile world. Rania Khbais carries forward the conversation with her piece exploring the interplay of culture, behaviour and security at airports around the world. Stanislav Bukhman looks at how the aviation industry is responding to risks posed by flying near or over conflict zones. 

Marco Chan examines the potential benefits of AI-powered decision-making in aviation, yet it presents obstacles during in-flight emergencies, which typically necessitate human intervention. 

Tony Jaques examines the reputational side of this pie: “When the label ‘troubled’ is inserted every time your company name appears, you know you are on a hiding to nothing. That is the reality for a once much-admired and envied giant of the aviation and aerospace industry. And it’s a stark example of how a succession of persistent and repeated crises creates a multiplier effect of exponential, corrosive reputational damage, each event building on the ones before.” 

James Lodge looks at how aviation security incidents aren’t restricted to simple travel by exploring the effect they have on the global supply chain. Whereas Zainab Farooqui tackles the smog question in South Asia in the context of the aviation industry. 

Cognitive warfare: As Russia and China leverage new technologies to shape perceptions and manipulate decision-making, NATO and its allies are devising defensive strategies to protect cognitive resilience, writes Andreas Wadström. Alex Bomberg warns that cognitive warfare is opening the world up to a powerful, disastrous form of conflict. 

In the same vein, Diana Concannon notes that in the current era, the human brain has become one of our most vulnerable security assets: “Although the seemingly ubiquitous nature of cognitive warfare can leave those dedicated to truth feeling embattled – and not willing to engage with information sources of any kind – individual and collective efforts to combat its effects are a security imperative. Those dedicated to the truth must seek sources shared by other truth-seekers. We do not have to agree on everything, but a truthfully educated populace capable of making sound and informed decisions is crucial for safeguarding both our present and our future.”

And finally, Abaigeal Lorge asks whether nations should hit back when faced with cyber espionage. 

Communities and response: Lina Kolesnikova explores the terrorist attack at Moscow’s Crocus City Hall: “The attack was part of a larger, orchestrated effort. One team conducted reconnaissance, targeting, and preparatory activities, while another team executed the attack itself. A third team led the information campaign surrounding the event.” 

On the other hand, Lyndon Bird takes a look at the latest DRI annual trends report and explores the top ten issues facing organisations in the last decade. 

Gilles Paché raises concerns about excessive tourism. Mass tourism, facilitated by low-cost transport companies, has major economic and social repercussions, such as gentrification, economic dependence, and unequal enrichment, he says. 

In terms of mental health, Guy Collins, Gemma Breitschadel and Pat Deeny explore effective hot and cold debriefing for healthcare professionals when it comes to potentially traumatic events. Patricia Smith expands the conversation to people on the frontlines or within the crisis and emergency domains. While grief is different for most people, it can be harder to tackle for people who are exposed to it for a living. 

Our book review includes an excellent commentary by Amanda Coleman on her recently published book, Strategic Reputation Management.  

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