Rapport

FFI-RAPPORT 16/00707

The three indicators used to make the classification were chosen because together they comprise

an adequate description of the characteristics of a country. Climate describes the relevant pieces

of information needed about the geographical setting; developmental level encompasses aspects

such as economy, education and health; and political stability incorporates issues of government

and politics, and to an extent, past history, culture and demographics.

The decision to include these indicators instead of others was inherent to the nature of the Piql

Preservation Services and thus the threats and hazards it might face. Including climate is

important to take into account hazards threatening the physical properties of the piqlVault,

piqlBox and piqlFilm. Developmental level and level of political stability was chosen in order to

establish, first, the different kinds of threats most likely faced when storing varying degrees of

sensitive information, and, second, what kind of safety and security measures one could expect

to be present in the vault. It is, however, important to keep in mind that what classifies these

indicators for a given zone today may not be the same in 200 or 500 years. Climate change may

have a negative effect on the climate in a region; changes in world trade and economy may

increase one country’s developmental level while decreasing another’s; and world events may

significantly alter the political stability of a country. Such radical changes in the settings

surrounding our object of study are matters we need to be aware of in our risk assessment. Yet,

we cannot base our assessment on guesswork and fortune telling: we must base it on what we

know to be true today and likely trends in the future. That is why the indicators are described

according to the present circumstances.

Table 5.1 presents the details of the indicators for the different zones, including the potential

hazards and threats associated with that indicator most likely to harm a piqlVault in a given

zone.