METROGLOBAL - A Reference Frame for Long-Term Viability in Global Policy and Development - Document 3: Resilience - Functional Continuity Within Invariant Viability Conditions

Modern societies depend on complex systems whose continued function is critical for safety, wellbeing, and long-term viability. Under conditions of increasing environmental, technical, and societal stress, the absence of disruption is neither realistic nor required. What determines viability is the capacity to maintain function despite disturbance. Metroglobal Document 3 defines resilience as the ability of systems to maintain essential function under stress, rather than to optimise performance under ideal conditions. It distinguishes resilience from robustness, redundancy, and efficiency, and situates maintenance of function as a primary value in its own right. The document operates within the Metroglobal reference frame and presupposes Earth-scale invariant conditions. It relies on verified facts as defined by GENERAL FACTIS and applies Metroglobal Epistemic Principle MEP-1 where factual claims constrain interpretation, prioritisation, or action. Document 3 is non-prescriptive and non-normative in outcome. Its purpose is to provide a stable analytical foundation for understanding, comparing, and designing resilient systems across domains without reducing resilience to economic optimisation or short-term control.