What’s the best exit strategy if an apocalypse hits?It could be a sudden global pandemic, nuclear war, or any other danger that threatens to drive humanity toward extinction.
If an apocalyptic event really did happen,we probably had no escape.But, if you are in the right place when disaster strikes,it is possible that you can come out of the “storm” and help humanity to rebuild after all has passed.
With this perspective, a team of scientists from the University of Otago (New Zealand) has identified and even ranked the best potential shelters in such a crisis:places that could better ensure long-term human survival in the face of catastrophic pandemics and other potential threats of extinction.
Although at first glance it may seem like something out of a dystopian sci-fi movie, scientists warn that the dangers, while not imminent,they are totally plausible.They could happen in the future.
“The discoveries in biotechnology could lead to a genetic engineering pandemic that threatens the survival of our species”, clarifies Nick Wilson, co-author of the work. “Although disease carriers can easily circumvent land borders, a self-sufficient closed island could host an isolated and technologically savvy population that could repopulate the Earth after a disaster,” predicts the expert.
The best place, above any other, to save yourself from an apocalyptic event is, without a doubt, an island.Of course, to identify the most effective shelters in this type of crisis, the researchers did not consider small islands. While isolated groups of people could survive unaided, small populations without a wide range of technical experts could not effectively rebuild and recreate a modern technological civilization, say the authors in their study published in the journal.Risk Analysis.
For this reason, the scientists – aiming that those who survived would have the complicated task of rebuilding society – only considered independent sovereign states recognized by the United Nations, without land borders shared with other states (and not connected to other nations), andwith populations of more than 250,000 people.
What else did they take into account?
The characteristics of the population, the physical location of the refuge, the availability of natural resources, and the political and social characteristics. The result is a list of the 20 safest places in the world. Which is the best? Find out in our gallery.
