An overview of how disruptions to the networks of infrastructure than keep cities running -- water, energy, transport and communications -- bring crises and emergency on a highly urbanised planet
23. “ Global Guerillas” and Infrastructural insurgencies “ Global economic networks, like today's oil networks, are typically sparse (few nodes), hierarchical (an inverted pyramid of distribution), concentrated (big hubs), and vulnerable (not built with security in mind). Complex infrastructure often exhibits extreme levels of vulnerability to non-planned events. The reason for this is may be found in an area of complexity research called highly optimized tolerance (HOT). HOT research has found that complex networks, like most global infrastructure, exhibit behaviors explained by the design considerations of its makers. The end-result of this planning is a network that is extremely robust against certain types of anticipated failures/insults but conversely is hypersensitive to unanticipated classes of uncertainty”. John Robb
33. Difficulty in communicating with non-combatants Inability to prepare and process some foods Disruption to water supply, treatment facilities, and sanitation Increased numbers of non-combatants requiring assistance Hygiene problems Disruption in some transportation and communications services Rising rates of malnutrition Shortage of clean water for drinking, cleaning and preparing food No electronic access to bank accounts/money Rising disease rates Increased reliance on battery-powered items for news, broadcasts, etc. Inoperable hospital electronic equipment Decreased Situational Awareness Increased requirement for night vision devices Some stoves/ovens non operable Decreased mobility Increased requirement for power generating equipment No refrigeration Greater logistics complexity Erosion of command and control capabilities No light after dark or in building interiors Third Order Effects Second Order Effects First Order Effects