Assessing the Role of Crisis Management and Passive Defense in Promoting the Sustainability of Critical Energy Infrastructures

The present article assesses the role of crisis management and passive defense in promoting the sustainability of critical energy infrastructures. Due to their strategic nature and widespread impact on other economic and social sectors, energy infrastructures are always exposed to a variety of threats, including natural disasters, technical incidents, and intentional attacks (both cyber and physical). In this regard, crisis management as a set of processes for predicting, preparing for, responding to, and recovering from crises, and passive defense as a set of unarmed measures to protect lives, property, and the country's infrastructures against hostile threats, are considered to be the two main pillars in ensuring the continued performance and sustainability of these infrastructures. The present research method is descriptive-survey and the required data were collected through a questionnaire. The statistical population of the research includes experts and key managers in various sectors of critical energy infrastructure (including power plants, gas transmission lines, refineries, and oil facilities), who were selected as the sample size based on stratified sampling and the Cochran formula of 100 people. This research examines the key challenges in the effective implementation of crisis management and passive defense strategies in the energy sector and provides operational solutions to overcome them. The interrelationship and impact of these two approaches on increasing the sustainability of the energy supply chain are described. The key findings of this research show that integrating crisis management and passive defense approaches, while reducing vulnerability, can significantly increase the ability of critical infrastructure in the energy sector to face various crises and ensure the continuity of essential services. It is concluded that adopting comprehensive and integrated strategies, based on a careful assessment of threats and vulnerabilities, and the effective implementation of passive defense measures and crisis management plans, is essential to ensure sustainable security and resilience in the energy sector.