ABSTRACT
This chapter introduces the concept of surprise and its implications for animal health management for climate change. The complex, dynamic web of interactions between climate systems, health systems, social systems, and ecosystems will inevitably lead to emerging and unanticipated health outcomes. The ability of people and organizations to recognize and act on warning signals will affect the likelihood of being surprised. A surprised-based approach to climate change preparedness will need equal attention to improved situational awareness to recognize surprising events prior to serious harms as to programs that build resilience to change in advance of harms. Multi-solving solutions will need to be created to protect and promote animal health to build resilience against a changing and surprising future while dealing with the challenges of today. Because no single sector has full control over the variety of factors that determine animals’ vulnerability to surprises, effective solutions require multi-sectoral coordination, collaboration, and engagement. Investment in surveillance and veterinary services is necessary and important, but investment in these areas alone will continue to primarily support reactionary responses. Being ready for surprises means supporting health early rather than only controlling disease later.
