They will collaborate with the objective of increasing the security and resilience of transnational Nordic linear infrastructure networks regarding extreme weather and natural hazards with the purpose of ensuring the high-quality continuation of daily life and the economy.
Sweden, Finland, and Norway have a high-degree of interdependence on linked road and rail networks, electric power transmission lines, and communications infrastructure. Owing to spatial-economic forces, environmental management concerns, and the resulting planning guidelines linear infrastructure is often spatially concentrated along corridors. Such constellations can appreciably increase societal disruption risk and compounds the societal and economic impacts following the disturbance of networks by natural hazards.
NordicLink recognises that intelligent approaches to hazard and risk management, including active mitigation techniques and nature-based solutions, as well as recurrent risk reviews of spatial concentration developments, must be developed and implemented to safeguard Nordic society against infrastructure disruptions from climate-driven natural hazards.
The NordicLink research consortium consists of the Finnish Meteorological Institute (FMI), Chalmers University of Technology, and the Norwegian Geotechnical Institute (NGI). These institutions benefit from developed international networks and existing involvement in relevant research projects, which will ensure the operational development and completion of the NordicLink objective. The research consortium is joined by 5 stakeholders involved in civil protection and infrastructure management and development. Stakeholders are central to the NordicLink concept and will contribute to identifying research needs as well as geographic hotspots to target research efforts and assist in integrating NordicLink outcomes into future infrastructure policy and practice.
Key Nordic Link research outcomes concerning nature-based solutions for risk reduction and modelling and monitoring methods will also be adaptable to secure existing infrastructure networks for society in current and future climate. NordicLink will contribute to the Nordic regions leading position in dynamic hazard and risk reduction research.