The UK government has launched a new campaign urging Britons to be better prepared for emergencies amid growing concerns over climate change and emerging security threats. Prime Minister Andy Burnham announced the “Be Ready” initiative during a wildfire and resilience summit in Liverpool on Thursday.

The campaign encourages households to stockpile essentials such as three days’ worth of bottled water and non-perishable food, battery or wind-up FM radios for emergency updates, and cash in both banknotes and coins to use if electronic payment systems fail. Additional recommended items include sleeping bags, spare batteries, and toiletries. The guidance aligns with similar advice recently issued in France, Ireland, and the Netherlands.

Burnham highlighted the increasing frequency of extreme weather events like storms and wildfires, which have posed a growing challenge across the UK in recent years. The country has experienced widespread droughts, heatwaves, and related wildfires during summer months—a pattern scientists attribute to human-driven climate change. In August, a wildfire in Stourbridge, central England, destroyed 19 homes and damaged 18 others. On a visit to the area, Burnham emphasized the need for the UK to adapt to changing climate conditions and accelerate its transition to clean energy.

At the summit, Burnham also announced plans to enhance wildfire response capabilities. The UK military will equip helicopters and planes for firefighting, and English firefighting services will receive additional specialist wildfire teams and lightweight personal protective equipment. The government has allocated up to £45 million ($60 million) to bolster efforts against the increasing number of blazes.

The “Be Ready” campaign is set to run for three years and aims to foster greater household and business resilience to disruptions caused by severe weather, cyberattacks, or other crises. Defence Minister Wes Streeting told the BBC the government wanted citizens to be “alert but not alarmed.” He urged people to consider how they would cope if essential supply chains were disrupted, for example, if local supermarket payment systems went offline due to hostile actions by state or non-state actors.

Concerns around food security and cyber resilience have intensified after recent incidents in Europe. Earlier this month, major French supermarket chains suffered cyberattacks that caused refrigeration failures in hundreds of stores, resulting in spoiled food. Additionally, a critical vulnerability discovered in the PHP programming language, which supports approximately 70% of global websites, prompted companies and governments worldwide to shut down affected sites as a precaution.

While environmental groups have welcomed the focus on preparedness and climate resilience, some have criticized the government for approving new drilling in a North Sea gas field, viewing it as inconsistent with clean energy goals. The government, however, maintains that these measures are necessary to address the increasing frequency and complexity of emergencies facing the UK.