When we talk about El Niño phenomenonthe conversation usually focuses on infrastructure, logistics or production. They are fundamental topics. But there is one dimension that receives less attention and can make a difference in the resilience of companies and economies: their operational continuity in the face of a disruption.
The most resilient economies understood that managing risks is not just about preventing impacts. It involves building capacity to recover quickly. In my career I have worked in countries exposed to floods, typhoons, earthquakes and other events, and I have proven that resilience does not depend on facing fewer risks, but on incorporating them into investment, financing and planning decisions.
Singapore and Japan offer good examples: from different realities, they have developed capabilities for decades to continue operating in the face of extreme events. Their experience shows that resilience does not begin when the emergency occurs, but before. That conversation becomes more relevant in an environment where companies simultaneously face operational risks and changes in global financial conditions. A climate event can test productive capacity and may generate changes in interest rates, financing or liquidity costs, and the capacity to adapt. Resilience requires preparing for everything.
For years we have associated disaster preparedness with the ability to respond to a crisis. However, in the face of more frequent and intense weather events, it is worth expanding the conversation to the ability to sustain economic activity during those disruptions.
Because when a company faces prolonged disruption, the challenge is not always rebuilding a physical asset. It also consists of preserving your operation while the recovery occurs: meeting workers and suppliers, maintaining inventories, honoring financial commitments, retaining customers and having liquidity.
In recent months, more companies are incorporating these questions into their planning. The conversation is evolving. It is no longer just about financing expansion, but about strengthening the capacity to adapt to more complex and uncertain scenarios.
This requires new tools and close collaboration between companies, the financial system and the public sector, as well as recognizing that the continuity of a company, in addition to affecting shareholders, impacts supply chains, employment, communities and regional economies.
Peru has demonstrated great capacity to overcome crises of different natures. That resilience is part of our recent history. The challenge going forward is to increasingly turn it into a competitive advantage.
Because the most successful economies not only grow, but also develop the ability to keep moving forward when faced with a shock. And in a world more exposed to disruption, that may be one of the least visible, but most valuable, strengths for building sustainable development and long-term trust.
