Australia one of the best-placed countries in the world to survive a nuclear war, report predicts

Australia one of the best-placed countries in the world to survive a nuclear war, report predicts

They’re the disasters that spawned a whole style of TV reveals and books – a supervolcano, a nuclear battle, or an enormous asteroid strike that leaves the Earth a barren and post-apocalyptic wasteland.

But it seems that whereas it would not fairly be “business as usual”, Australia is fairly well-positioned to keep away from our society going full Mad Max within the occasion of an apocolaypse.

A report printed within the journal Risk Analysis examined what international locations world wide had been finest place to outlive, if not thrive, below an “abrupt sunlight reduction scenario”.
A nuclear explosion sends a mushroom cloud up into the sky.
Australia is likely one of the international locations finest positioned to outlive a nuclear battle, a brand new examine has discovered. (Nature Food)

Such a state of affairs could possibly be attributable to a nuclear winter, or an eruption by a supervolcano that dims the solar within the sky. It can result in – relying on severity – a extreme lack of meals manufacturing, freezing temperatures, and mass lack of crops and wildlife.

But in response to the report, Australia, together with New Zealand and different Pacific nations together with Vanuatu and the Solomon Islands, have the very best likelihood on the planet of weathering such a disaster more-or-less intact.

Australia’s huge pure sources and agricultural manufacturing meant our meals buffer was “gigantic”, the researchers mentioned.

Australia’s meals manufacturing capability provides to its resilience. (Nine)

By comparability, nations reminiscent of China, the US and France had been extra prone to undergo a 97 per cent loss in meals manufacturing.

Australia might additionally stay self-sufficient when it comes to power provide, the report discovered, and its stability, sturdy well being system, and well-maintained infrastructure had been additionally in its favour.

New Zealand, by comparability, relied on commerce for a lot of its power, which might undergo badly within the occasion of a northern hemisphere left primarily non-functional in a possible wartime situation.

Countries with the best army expenditure on the planet

But New Zealand did have benefits over Australia, together with its geography – with most of its areas comparatively near the ocean, it might be freer of any temperature extremes.

And Australia’s nearer army ties to the US or UK might result in it being a goal in a nuclear change.

The report targeted on island nations, however famous that in earlier analyses, Scandinavian international locations had been rated among the many most resilient on the planet.

The researchers did embody Iceland amongst their prime potential survivors.

Ultimately, the report suggested towards any nation opting to “go it alone” in such a state of affairs, urging sturdy alliances and contingencies be ready.

“Trade in food, energy, components, and expertise is needed to maximise survival chances in the face of severe climate effects and the cascading impacts across many human and ecological systems,” the authors wrote.

“Collapse of technological society is possible even in locations considered most likely to survive. This may seriously impede cooperation, coordination, and resilient food production.”

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Source: www.9news.com.au