Crisis and Risk Psychology in Norway

"Led by a team at the University of Bergen, and funded by them (grant UB100508102), we explored how municipal leaders in the county of Vestland in western Norway prepare for and deal with risks and crises, hoping to avoid disasters. The impetus was driven by the COVID-19 pandemic and rising concerns about the impacts of climate change, although the key remained to consider all possible dangers."

"Between December 2022 and March 2023, our principal researcher, Sofie Steinsund, contacted local leaders and completed semi-structured, online, 30-45-minute-long interviews in Norwegian with twelve of the leaders. The interviewees comprised five women and seven men. After these dozen interviews, few new insights were emerging, so the research was deemed to have reached "saturation" and the transcripts were anonymised and analysed."

A team at the University of Bergen, funded by grant UB100508102, explored how municipal leaders in Vestland, Norway prepare for and manage risks and crises. Twelve municipal leaders participated in 30–45 minute semi-structured online interviews between December 2022 and March 2023. Interviewees included five women and seven men with an average of 13 years of experience. Recurring hazards include storms, flooding, landslides, and tree-fall during high winds. Key challenges include managing "unknowns" and balancing constrained resources between everyday tasks and crisis readiness. Informal routines and targeted training can mitigate uncertainty and strengthen local preparedness.

Read at Psychology Today