Resilience is no longer just about disaster response but a core measure of economic strength and investor confidence, Guyana’s Prime Minister Mark Phillips has told regional disaster managers.

Disaster management could no longer be seen as something activated only after an event, as that approach was inadequate for current realities, he declared. Resilience, he said, now sits at the centre of how countries are governed, shaping the economy, infrastructure, security and long-term development.

He said: “To govern well in this environment is to govern at the speed of risk, anticipating threats before they mature, investing ahead of need, coordinating across borders, and acting with resolve when the moment demands it. The windows in which decisions must be taken are narrowing, and the cost of acting late rises with every passing season. Approached in this way, resilience becomes a matter of competitiveness as much as protection.”