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The study examines compound flooding in Halmstad, Sweden, identifying a correlation between river discharge and sea level annual maxima driven by the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO). Future compound flooding risks are projected to be primarily driven by mean sea level rise and secondarily by increased mean river discharge.

The UNCHAIN project utilizes an impact chain method to improve climate change risk assessments and adaptation actions. In a case study in Halmstad, Sweden, researchers adapted this model to explore how multiple hydrometeorological hazards interact with pre-existing vulnerabilities to create cascading disruptions across critical infrastructures and vital societal functions, potentially generating new vulnerable social groups. The process emphasized the co-production of knowledge, integrating stakeholder expertise from sectors such as water services, urban planning, and risk management through a participatory, iterative approach based on five selected modules of the impact chain framework.

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.