Cross-boundary disaster communication: building systems thinking and breaking traditional divisions in the field

Our societies are facing risks that are increasingly complex, interconnected, and unpredictable. Globalization, technological interdependence, and climate change mean that hazards are no longer confined to a single location, sector, or phase of the disaster cycle. Systemic and cross-border threats disrupt the functioning of critical societal systems and essential businesses, ranging from healthcare and energy to transportation and information networks [United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction. This special issue addresses how these risks challenge the very foundations of resilience and governance. Addressing them requires disaster communication scholarship to move beyond the traditional boundaries of place, discipline, and hazard type and to develop systemic solutions that can operate across scales, sectors, and contexts.