Weather, wealth and well-being

The briefing examines social vulnerability in Halmstad, Sweden, in the context of climate-driven water-related hazards. It argues that while Sweden is generally resilient, specific social groups remain vulnerable due to intersecting factors such as age, income, and disability. Using the impact chain model, the authors demonstrate how disruptions to critical infrastructure—such as water, energy, and transport—can create cascading effects that disproportionately impact the most vulnerable and can even create new vulnerable groups. The document highlights 'erosive coping' where disaster responses may inadvertently reinforce existing inequalities. It recommends that local authorities integrate social dimensions into their risk and vulnerability assessments to design more effective disaster risk reduction strategies.

• Social vulnerability in Halmstad is shaped by nine primary underlying attributes: age, language, illness and disability, educational attainment, single parent households, vehicle ownership, housing, income, and unemployment.
• Certain professional roles are inherently more exposed to risk during water-related hazards due to their duties, including emergency response personnel, healthcare staff, and caregivers.
• Infrastructure dependency creates varying levels of vulnerability based on redundancy and location; for example, rural residents may be less dependent on municipal water due to private wells, while urban apartment dwellers lack alternative water sources.
• Cascading effects can create new vulnerable groups; for instance, disruptions in education can disproportionately affect women and single mothers who may be forced to stay home with children, subsequently impacting healthcare provision if those mothers are also healthcare workers.
• The document identifies 'erosive coping' as disaster management strategies that increase vulnerability, such as crisis communication that relies on digital tools or specific languages, which excludes those without such access.
• The authors recommend that local authorities move beyond infrastructure-focused risk assessments to include social dimensions and use the impact chain model to identify who depends on critical functions.

APA

Englund, M., André, K., Barquet, K., & Segnestam, L. (2022). Weather, wealth and well-being. Stockholm Environment Institute. https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/water-related-hazards-halmstad-sei2022.038.pdf

Chicago

Englund, Mathilda, Karin André, Karina Barquet, and Lisa Segnestam. Weather, wealth and well-being. Stockholm Environment Institute, 2022. https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/water-related-hazards-halmstad-sei2022.038.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Englund |first1=Mathilda |last2=André |first2=Karin |last3=Barquet |first3=Karina |last4=Segnestam |first4=Lisa |title=Weather, wealth and well-being |publisher=Stockholm Environment Institute |date=October 2022 |url=https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/water-related-hazards-halmstad-sei2022.038.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{englund2022weather, author = {Englund, Mathilda and André, Karin and Barquet, Karina and Segnestam, Lisa}, title = {{Weather, wealth and well-being}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, year = {2022}, month = oct, url = {https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/water-related-hazards-halmstad-sei2022.038.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }