Riitta Molarius

Multi-criteria decision analysis in adaptation decision-making: a flood case study in Finland

Decision-making for the purpose of adaptation to climate change typically involves multiple stakeholders, regions and sectors as well as multiple objectives related to the use of resources and perceived benefits. Standard cost–benefit analysis can be argued to take into account easily monetised effects only. Multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) embedded in participatory processes can therefore play an important role in defining the decision context and exploring stakeholders’ preferences. In this paper, a case study on flood protection of the Kokemäki river running through the city of Pori in West Finland was conducted. The study was realised as a MCDA workshop involving the key stakeholders of the region. The analysis produced a robust ranking of the considered flood protection alternatives. According to the stakeholders, the approach was useful as an exploratory way of gaining a deeper and shared understanding of the flood protection. It was shown that MCDA is well suited for decision-making in adaptation to climate change–enhanced extreme events.

Assuring the information flow from accident sites to decision makers- a Finnish case study

In spite of the huge amount of information regarding natural and man-made accidents, rescue forces are not able to use information efficiently in their decision-making. From a rescue services point of view, the main challenge is not only to get authentic and real data, but to get ready analysed data. This paper discusses the Finnish way to create an emergency management system that collects reasonable data from an emergency situation, merges the data to get a better overall picture, and sends the analysed assessment of the situation to the rescue services and decision-makers. Two pilot tests were made to define how the information would flow from accident sites to rescue authorities and decision-makers in the best way. The results show that a network has to be established for supplying and analysing the information into a suitable form to be used in real-time management of crisis situations. The authorities also have to ensure that there are no technical limits which obstruct the real-time information flow from accident sites to the decision-makers’ monitors.

Enhancing the Resilience of Electricity Networks by Multi-stakeholder Risk Assessment: The Case Study of Adverse Winter Weather in Finland

Electricity networks in Finland are subject to adverse winter weather, particularly a combination of heavy snowfall with strong winds, causing electricity outages especially in the rural areas. The severe consequences of such events require that electricity distributors and the entire network of stakeholders establish a proactive risk management for achieving enhanced situational awareness during adverse weather events, efficient and effective recovering after electricity outage as well as improved preparedness against future events. This paper shows how a risk assessment performed with an Action Error Analysis (AEA) were conducted in order to enhance the resilience of electricity networks against adverse winter weather. This also encompassed an assessment of co-operation and communication structures about such risks. Adverse winter weather that took place in Pirkanmaa, in South-West Finland in November 2015, serves as a case study and laboratory for the assessments. The results of the AEA underscore the importance of co-operation and communication-related challenges that electricity distributors, rescue authorities and municipalities face in maintaining and obtaining a high level of resilience of electricity networks during and after heavy snowfalls. Against this background, novel ways and measures related to co-operation and communication of stakeholders to improve the resilience of electricity networks against future events are discussed.

Foresight in Sight: How to Improve Urban Resilience with Collaboration Among Public Authorities?

Creating a resilient built environment for citizens is one of the main issues public authorities face when planning urban areas, such as new residential areas, suburbs, shopping centres, or traffic stations. Today, in particular, the safety and security of the built environment focuses on city planning. New technologies, including digitalisation, as well as citizens with differing feelings about and experiences of safety and security challenge city planners, and this requires attention. Utilising foresight methods, such as the participatory scenario-building method, is one way to adapt to future changes in urban settlements and help decision-makers in creating a better tomorrow for citizens. This paper presents one foresight method, termed scenario-building process, as a tool for city planners to create a safer and more secure built environment for citizens with different needs and backgrounds. The paper discusses how to use participatory scenario building together with city authorities and other stakeholders for planning urban areas. By presenting a case study from Finland, where the method was used to develop the area around a railway junction station, the paper brings out four scenarios developed to visualise possible future paths of the studied railway station area. The case study was part of the HARMONISE—A Holistic Approach to Resilience and Systematic Actions to Make Large-Scale Built Infrastructure Secure—project that was funded by the European Union within the Framework Programme 7.