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NATURAL HAZARDS AND PUBLIC SAFETY 17
therefore need sufficient knowledge about the impacts so that we can make valid
assessments of the measures needed to ensure a level of safety that is acceptable to
society, and not least to identify the socio-economic benefits that would follow from
the improvement in safety and preparedness.
SAMRISK and EU research
The Ministry of Justice and Public Security will, by virtue of its wide segment of
responsibility for research and long-term competence-building within natural
hazards and public safety, utilise and prioritise participation in dedicated research
programmes organised by the Research Council of Norway. Central in this context
is the programme “SAMRISK” initiated in 2006 and focusing on public safety and
security.
Furthermore, Norway participates, through the Ministry of Justice and Public
Security and the Research Council of Norway, in the “Secure Societies” project of
the European Union’s major research programme “Horizon 2020”. The main topics
in this programme include resilience, preparedness, handling of crises, the
consequences of climate change and co-ordination in critical situations. We are
particularly pleased that Norway's social scientist research groups were successful
in winning more contracts in this programme than any other nation. It should also be
mentioned that the UN held its 3
rd
World Conference of Catastrophe Prevention in
Sendai in Japan March 15
−
17, with participation from 180 countries and 20 state
leaders.
Climate change and extreme weather in Norway
We have good data about climate change, both from international and national
sources. In Norway, there is clear evidence that precipitation has increased over
recent years. Extreme weather have serious consequences and challenges public
safety, e.g. due to floods, avalanches and rockfalls. The storms in western Norway
last year demonstrated this clearly when a large number of families experienced that
their homes were severely damaged by floodwater. This led to fear and safety
concerns for many. We still need to enhance our efforts to mitigate the effects of
such catastrophic events. This work can never have high enough priority. With this
I mean that the responsibility for mitigation measures and preparedness rests not
only on the Ministry and society, but also at an individual level: I can still remember
the post-war mentality when the inhabitants of Norway were encouraged to have
food supplies stored in case of mishaps or unrest. People did indeed demonstrate
their ability and willingness to take on such responsibility. The former minister of
the JD, Odd Einar Dørum, was met with laughter and scorn when he encouraged
such action after the September 11
th
2001 attacks in the US. In my opinion, such
reactions were completely misplaced. In our present society, we have had examples
of polluted water resources and grocery stores depleted of bottled water within days.
A freezer without electric power is useless for storing food. Norwegian house