met.no report 06, 2007
10.04.2007

Eirik J. Førland (ed.), Eli Alfnes, Helene Amundsen, Randi Pytte Asvall, Rasmus Benestad, Jens Debernard, Torill Engen-Skaugen, Inger Hanssen-Bauer, Knut Harstveit, Jan Erik Haugen, Grete K. Hovelsrud, Ketil Isaksen, Christian Jaedicke, Kalle Kronholm, Ånund Sigurd Kvambekk, Joe LaCasce, Lars A. Roald, Kari Sletten, Knut Stalsberg:

Climate change and natural disasters in Norway

An assessment of possible future changes

The Norwegian Agricultural Authority (Statens landbruksforvaltning, SLF) is due to make new legislation on safeguarding and compensation for natural disasters and hazards, and has requested an updated assessment of whether the projected climate changes will make the Norwegian society more or less vulnerable to natural hazards in the next 30–50 years. The main results are described in a report (in Norwegian) to SLF («Utviklingen av naturulykker som følge av klimaendringer»). The present report provides the scientific background for the conclusions in the report to SLF, and addresses the extent to which changes are expected in Norway in frequency, extent and magnitude of damages associated with natural hazards under global warming.

The main types of natural hazard events discussed are changes in: precipitation, flooding and ice jams, strong winds, sea level and storm surges, avalanches and slides, permafrost, other hazards (e.g. earth quakes, tsunamis, sub sea slides) and the society’s vulnerability to natural hazards and disasters.

This assessment is made in collaboration between several Norwegian institutions: met.no (Norwegian Meteorological Institute, main responsibility for the assessment); Cicero (Center for International Climate and Environmental Research); ICG/NGI (International Center of Geohazards/Norwegian Geotechnical Institute), NGU (Geological Survey of Norway), NVE (Norwegian Water and Energy Resources Administration).

Keywords: Climate change, natural hazards, society’s vulnerability to natural hazards

The report may be downloaded as pdf file:

• High resolution (24 MB)
• Low resolution (15 MB)
• Keypoints only (2 MB)