Healix Risk Oracle report for 2021 identifies six key risks beyond the pandemic
International
risk management and assistance expert, Healix International, has identified six
key areas of risk – besides the continued impact of COVID-19 – for global
organisations in its 2021 Risk Oracle report.
- Natural Disasters – The increasing
frequency of extreme weather events with natural disasters becoming more
pronounced both in terms of frequency and severity. Building resilience to
natural disasters is a significant exercise.
- Faceless Threats – In a context of
increased isolationism, and more time spent online, individuals will
become increasingly disconnected from normative community activity with a
comparative increase in crime and incidents of violence perpetrated by
‘faceless’ lone actors.
- Supply Chain
Disruption
– The highly complex logistical webs that make up the global economy have
predominantly been designed with cost and efficiency in mind. Unless
resilience starts to be factored into these considerations, disruption to
supply chains will remain a significant operational risk factor.
- Cyber Attacks – No longer just
an inconvenience, they are potentially calamitous. More worrisome, attacks
targeting government infrastructure are on the rise, and any cyber
breaches in this space could have unprecedented implications.
- Decay of the
‘social contract’ – Mounting frustrations over inequality, cynicism of
perceived corrupt political elites, and distrust of wider civil society
including the media and big business amid the pandemic of ‘Fake News’ are
likely to lead to increased public agitation and worsening levels of
political cohesion.
- Erosion of domestic political cohesion fuelled by social media – Complex political issues find themselves being misrepresented in the form of a ‘post’, ‘share’, or ‘tweet’. This dynamic will become more prevalent in 2021 and result in even more social and political divisiveness, with rising levels of political risk in locations where the ‘culture war’ is most pronounced.
As Chris Job MBE,
Director, Risk Management Services, Healix International explains, it is vital
for organisations with an international footprint to ensure that the myriad of
risks beyond the coronavirus remain a focus. “2021 is likely to be as busy a
year for challenging global events, some predictable and some unprecedented.
Overlay this expectation with a new and as yet undefined normal and a global
drive for economic growth, the need for robust organisational resilience plans
is clear. The key now is to ensure consistent and reliable monitoring is
combined with access to the most appropriate resources to ensure employee
wellbeing remains the priority.
“With our
deep-rooted, in-house medical and security expertise underpinned by modern
technology, Healix offers a single-source comprehensive, compelling and
powerful risk solution for 2021 and beyond.”
The 2021 Healix
International Risk Oracle Report, along with a global Security Risk Map, can be
downloaded from https://info.healix.com/download-risk-forecasts-2021
