What risks can cascade from multiple hydro-meteorological hazards in Sweden and how will climate change alter the risk of disastrous domino effects? What are the implications for infrastructure and social groups and what measures are needed to reduce vulnerabilities?
The Managing vulnerabilities to multiple water hazards in Sweden (HydroHazards) project evaluates the damage that may be caused by multiple water hazards and provides policy recommendations and actions for mitigation and adaptation.
Several cars were trapped under a bridge during heavy rain in Malmö, Sweden.
Impacts from multiple hazards are expected to grow with increased dependency on and vulnerability of Critical Societal Services and Infrastructure (CSSIs). Despite this, risk analyses usually study the likelihood of single events and their impacts but fail to consider the web of connections between them.
While the stable welfare society in Sweden and the Nordic countries in general, makes them among the least vulnerable societies in the world, the challenge is whether existing Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) arrangements can react to changes in society, the economy, and the physical environment due to drivers such as climate change or infrastructure development.
HydroHazards will contribute to Swedish DRR policies and practices with a specific focus on the management of multiple water hazards and potential mitigation and adaptation strategies. The project will examine how exposure and vulnerability to multiple water hazards lead to different types of cumulative and interactive impacts on CSSIs and populations. As such, the project not only strongly relates to, but also complements, the Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency’s work by investigating multiple water hazards.
Journal article / This study models flood risks to critical infrastructure in Halmstad, Sweden, identifying key vulnerabilities and cascading failure risks.
SEI report / Policy and planning for nature-based solutions can be furthered in sustainable stormwater management in Swedish municipalities.
Journal article / This paper provides a data-driven framework for identifying and mapping localized hotspots and analyzing trends in single and compound hydroclimatic hazards.
Journal article / This study investigates compound flooding in Halmstad using a comprehensive dataset of regional climate projections.
Journal article / This paper discusses the concepts of multiple hazards and cascading effects in relation to critical infrastructures and their vital societal functions.
Journal article / In this paper the authors aim to design and test a social vulnerability index to floods at a sub-municipal level in Sweden.
SEI brief / This brief provides an overview of methods and tools and a summary of their application in a Swedish case study in the HydroHazards project.
SEI brief / The authors propose using current municipal assessments as a starting point to better understand social vulnerability to weather-related disasters.
Feature / SEI researchers call for proactive strategies to manage Sweden’s interconnected climate risks and their cascading effects.
Team Leader: Cities, Communities and Consumption; Senior Research Fellow
SEI Headquarters
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Project / A new generation of action- and user-oriented climate change risk assessments.
