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Flood response using complementary early warning information
Karlstad University, Faculty of Health, Science and Technology (starting 2013), Centre for Climate and Safety. (Centrum för Naturkatastrofhantering (CNDS))ORCID iD: 0000-0001-5420-4330
2016 (English)In: Journal of Contingencies and Crisis Management, ISSN 0966-0879, E-ISSN 1468-5973, Vol. 24, no 4, p. 253-263Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]

The objective of this comparative case study was to investigate and compare how Swedish municipalities gather and use warning information from official and unofficial sources at the municipal level, as well as the circumstances under which that process has a chance to succeed. The overall conclusions of the study are that official and unofficial warnings have the potential to play complementary roles for municipalities making decisions about flood response, giving the municipalities a wider perspective and better opportunity to assess risk and to act appropriately. The required resources for using official warnings and getting access to unofficial warning sources are not evenly distributed among municipalities, and a lack of systematization of access to warning information hinders the flood response potential.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Wiley-Blackwell, 2016. Vol. 24, no 4, p. 253-263
Keywords [en]
Flood Risk Management, Early Warning, Natural Hazard
National Category
Climate Science
Research subject
Risk and Environmental Studies
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:kau:diva-35290DOI: 10.1111/1468-5973.12121ISI: 000387793600006OAI: oai:DiVA.org:kau-35290DiVA, id: diva2:791295
Funder
VINNOVAAvailable from: 2015-02-27 Created: 2015-02-27 Last updated: 2025-02-07Bibliographically approved
In thesis
1. Flood Warnings in a Risk Management Context: A Case of Swedish Municipalities
Open this publication in new window or tab >>Flood Warnings in a Risk Management Context: A Case of Swedish Municipalities
2015 (English)Licentiate thesis, comprehensive summary (Other academic)
Abstract [en]

As a result of the United Nations’ International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction (1990-2000), and recent high profile disasters, disaster risk reduction has climbed high on the international political agenda. There has been a paradigm shift from reacting to disasters towards preparing for and mitigating effects of disasters. Among the measures that have been highlighted on the disaster risk reduction agenda are early warning systems. In a Swedish context, there are needs for early warnings for various flood risk types. Municipalities carry big responsibilities for managing flood risks, and early warnings have a potential to facilitate decision-making and ultimately reduce flood losses.

The aim of this thesis is to describe how a variety of flood warning signals are used in the risk management process of Swedish municipalities, how they can contribute to the flood risk reducing process, and which factors influence the success of this. The thesis is based on two papers.

Paper I is based on interviews with three respondents from Swedish municipalities that have invested in and established local early warning systems. The paper shows that the possible effects from a local early warning system are not only reduced flood losses but also potential spinoff, the occurrence of which is dependent on the well-being of the organisation and its risk management processes.

Paper II is based on interviews with 23 respondents at 18 Swedish municipalities, who have responsibilities related to flood risk management, and one respondent who works at SMHI with hydrological warning. The paper shows that municipalities can use a variety of complementary flood warning signals to facilitate decision-making for a proactive flood response. This is however not systematically the case, and is dependent on available resources.

The theoretical contribution of this thesis is a development of existing conceptual models of early warning systems with respect to risk management and system contexts, and the use of complementary warning signals.

Abstract [en]

Following the United Nations’ International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction (1990-2000), and recent high profile disasters, disaster risk reduction has climbed high on the international political agenda. Among the measures that have been highlighted are early warning systems – for Swedish municipalities who are responsible for managing flood risks, early warnings have a potential to facilitate decision-making and ultimately reduce flood losses. This licentiate thesis, based on two articles, aims to describe how a variety of flood warning signals are used in the risk management process of Swedish municipalities, how they can contribute to the flood risk reducing process, and which factors influence the success of this. The articles show that the possible effects from a local early warning system are not only reduced flood losses but also potential spin-off benefits, the occurrence of which is dependent on factors such as organisational culture and the functioning of the wider risk management system, and that municipalities can use a variety of complementary flood warning signals to facilitate decision-making for a proactive flood response which, however, is not systematically the case as benefits are dependent on available resources.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Karlstad: Karlstads universitet, 2015. p. 50
Series
Karlstad University Studies, ISSN 1403-8099 ; 2015:19
Keywords
Early warning systems, floods, natural hazards, municipality, risk management, preparedness, disaster risk reduction.
National Category
Other Earth Sciences
Research subject
Risk and Environmental Studies
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:kau:diva-35336 (URN)978-91-7063-633-2 (ISBN)
Presentation
2015-04-24, 1B 306, Universitetsgatan 2, Karlstad, 10:00 (English)
Opponent
Supervisors
Funder
Vinnova
Available from: 2015-04-07 Created: 2015-03-06 Last updated: 2025-02-07Bibliographically approved
2. The weakest link: Governing the risk of floods and dam failure in Sweden
Open this publication in new window or tab >>The weakest link: Governing the risk of floods and dam failure in Sweden
2023 (English)Doctoral thesis, comprehensive summary (Other academic)
Abstract [en]

The effects of climate change are already being felt today, and future effects, which will be determined by the readiness and resolve of today’s world leaders, are fraught with high levels of complexity, uncertainty, ambiguity, and transboundary effects – characteristics of systemic risk. Since climate change is seen as a threat multiplier, the risks that might be impacted by climate change, such as floods and dam failure, will be affected by systemic risk characteristics as well. Recent literature on risk governance calls for a more inclusive approach to address the challenges of systemic risks. Sweden has adopted the Sendai Framework, which aims to reduce disaster risk and strengthen societal resilience through a more people-centered approach. Sweden can be expected to have the resources and institutional structures needed to be able to implement the framework at a high level. However, evaluations of recent crises have shown a discrepancy between what can be expected and actual performance. This thesis aims to increase the understanding of contextual barriers to and drivers of inclusive risk governance, with a focus on responsibilities, (mandated) collaboration, and stakeholder participation, as an approach to increase societal resilience against disaster and systemic risk. The aim is reached by studying flood-related systemic risks and their governance. Three distinct, qualitative case studies focusing on different aspects of the Swedish disaster risk reduction and risk governance systems in relation to the risk of floods and dam failure are the empirical foundation for the four papers that are appended in the thesis. The thesis concludes that there is a need for a change in how resilience is framed, as part of a paradigm shift to a discourse that views resilience as a measure of adaptive capacity, and a change in how systemic risks should be understood and governed, as part of a paradigm shift to an inclusive risk governance framework.

Abstract [sv]

Effekterna av klimatförändringarna märks idag, och framtida effekter, som avgörs av beslutsamheten hos dagens ledare, har höga nivåer av komplexitet, osäkerhet, tvetydighet och effektöverskridande – egenskaper hos systemrisker. Eftersom klimatförändringar ses som en hotmultiplikator kommer de risker som kan påverkas av klimatförändringar, såsom översvämningar och dammbrott, också att påverkas av systemriskegenskaper. Nylig litteratur om riskstyrning föreslår ett mer inkluderande tillvägagångssätt för att hantera utmaningarna med systemrisker. Sverige har antagit Sendai Framework, som syftar till att minska katastrofrisken och stärka samhällelig motståndskraft genom ett mer människocentrerat förhållningssätt. Sverige kan förväntas ha de resurser och institutionella strukturer som behövs för att kunna implementera ramverket på hög nivå. Utvärderingar av kriser det senaste årtiondet har dock visat att det finns en diskrepans mellan vad som kan förväntas och faktisk prestation. Syftet med denna avhandling är att öka förståelsen för kontextuella hinder och drivkrafter för inkluderande riskstyrning, med fokus på ansvar; (obligatorisk) samverkan; och intressentdeltagande, som ett tillvägagångssätt för att öka samhällets resiliens mot katastrofer och systemrisker. Målet nås genom en studie av översvämningsrelaterade systemrisker och deras styrning. Tre distinkta, kvalitativa fallstudier som fokuserar på olika aspekter av de svenska katastrofriskreduktions- och riskstyrningssystemen i relation till översvämningsrisk och risk för dammbrott är den empiriska grunden för de fyra artiklar som ligger till grund för avhandlingen. Slutsatsen av avhandlingen är att det finns ett behov av en förändring av hur resiliens betraktas, som en del av ett paradigmskifte till en diskurs som ser resiliens som ett mått på anpassningsförmåga, och en förändring av hur systemrisker ska förstås och styras, som del av ett paradigmskifte till ett ramverk för inkluderande riskstyrning.

Abstract [en]

This thesis aims to increase the understanding of contextual barriers to and drivers of inclusive risk governance, with a focus on responsibilities, (mandated) collaboration, and stakeholder participation, as an approach to increase societal resilience against disaster and systemic risk. The aim is reached by studying flood-related systemic risks and their governance. Three distinct, qualitative case studies focusing on different aspects of the Swedish disaster risk reduction and risk governance systems in relation to the risk of floods and dam failure are the empirical foundation for the four papers that are appended in the thesis. The thesis concludes that there is a need for a change in how resilience is framed, as part of a paradigm shift to a discourse that views resilience as a measure of adaptive capacity, and a change in how systemic risks should be understood and governed, as part of a paradigm shift to an inclusive risk governance framework.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Karlstad: Karlstads universitet, 2023. p. 114
Series
Karlstad University Studies, ISSN 1403-8099 ; 2023:19
Keywords
risk governance, early warning systems, flood risk, risk of dam failure, natural hazards, disaster risk reduction, preparedness, crisis management, systems theory, collaboration, participation, resilience, riskstyrning, varningssystem, översvämningsrisk, dammbrottsrisk, naturolycka, katastrofriskreducering, beredskap, krishantering, systemteori, samverkan, deltagande, resiliens
National Category
Social Sciences Interdisciplinary
Research subject
Risk and Environmental Studies
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:kau:diva-94507 (URN)978-91-7867-380-3 (ISBN)978-91-7867-381-0 (ISBN)
Public defence
2023-06-16, Eva Erikssonsalen, 21A 342, Karlstad, 09:15 (Swedish)
Opponent
Supervisors
Available from: 2023-05-25 Created: 2023-05-02 Last updated: 2023-05-25Bibliographically approved

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