Skip to main content

Lund University Publications

LUND UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES

Preventing and Preparing for Disasters – The Role of a Swedish Local Emergent Citizen Group

Guldåker, Nicklas LU ; Eriksson, Kerstin LU and Nieminen Kristofersson, Tuija LU (2015) In International Journal of Mass Emergencies and Disasters 33(3). p.360-387
Abstract
Disasters such as the storms that affected Sweden in 2005 and 2007 showed that

citizens initially conducted a large part of the disaster response, such as clearing roads, giving psychosocial support to affected neighbours and repairing power lines in collaboration with power companies. As a result of these storms, an Emergent Citizen Group (ECG) was established in a village which continued to work on risk prevention, even after the event. The aim of this paper is to describe and analyse this local emergent citizen group’s continuing work on the prevention of local risk and vulnerability, and particularly, their work on flood prevention. The results

indicate that authorities seldom understand the ECG’s concerns about... (More)
Disasters such as the storms that affected Sweden in 2005 and 2007 showed that

citizens initially conducted a large part of the disaster response, such as clearing roads, giving psychosocial support to affected neighbours and repairing power lines in collaboration with power companies. As a result of these storms, an Emergent Citizen Group (ECG) was established in a village which continued to work on risk prevention, even after the event. The aim of this paper is to describe and analyse this local emergent citizen group’s continuing work on the prevention of local risk and vulnerability, and particularly, their work on flood prevention. The results

indicate that authorities seldom understand the ECG’s concerns about risks.

Authorities also lack the experience and capacity to collaborate with, and support, the ECG’s risk and vulnerability reduction work. Bureaucratic barriers and declining motivation among volunteers within the ECGs could undermine commitment to the prevention of risks. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Emergent Citizen Group, risk, storm, flood mitigation, Sweden
in
International Journal of Mass Emergencies and Disasters
volume
33
issue
3
pages
360 - 387
publisher
International Research Committee on Disasters, IRCD
ISSN
0280-7270
project
FRIVA
Perspectives on vulnerability and need for help in the management of crises (within FRIVA II)
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
ea2f92c8-7065-48ea-90bd-02de0f0b8b14 (old id 8312135)
alternative location
http://ijmed.org/articles/686/
http://www.ijmed.org/articles/686/download/
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 14:59:28
date last changed
2020-05-04 10:50:29
@article{ea2f92c8-7065-48ea-90bd-02de0f0b8b14,
  abstract     = {{Disasters such as the storms that affected Sweden in 2005 and 2007 showed that<br/><br>
citizens initially conducted a large part of the disaster response, such as clearing roads, giving psychosocial support to affected neighbours and repairing power lines in collaboration with power companies. As a result of these storms, an Emergent Citizen Group (ECG) was established in a village which continued to work on risk prevention, even after the event. The aim of this paper is to describe and analyse this local emergent citizen group’s continuing work on the prevention of local risk and vulnerability, and particularly, their work on flood prevention. The results<br/><br>
indicate that authorities seldom understand the ECG’s concerns about risks.<br/><br>
Authorities also lack the experience and capacity to collaborate with, and support, the ECG’s risk and vulnerability reduction work. Bureaucratic barriers and declining motivation among volunteers within the ECGs could undermine commitment to the prevention of risks.}},
  author       = {{Guldåker, Nicklas and Eriksson, Kerstin and Nieminen Kristofersson, Tuija}},
  issn         = {{0280-7270}},
  keywords     = {{Emergent Citizen Group; risk; storm; flood mitigation; Sweden}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{3}},
  pages        = {{360--387}},
  publisher    = {{International Research Committee on Disasters, IRCD}},
  series       = {{International Journal of Mass Emergencies and Disasters}},
  title        = {{Preventing and Preparing for Disasters – The Role of a Swedish Local Emergent Citizen Group}},
  url          = {{http://ijmed.org/articles/686/}},
  volume       = {{33}},
  year         = {{2015}},
}