Sweden National Platform

History

The Swedish National Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction was established in September 2007 as a result of a government commission to the Swedish Rescue Services Agency. Today, the new authority Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency, MSB (established in 2009) is the HFA Focal Point and responsible, on commission from the government, for collaboration with other competent authorities and organizations for running a national platform for natural disasters.

The platform’s purpose is to work towards preventing and mitigating the consequences of natural disasters in line with Sweden’s undertaking in relation to the Hyogo Declaration and the Hyogo Framework for Action.

Structure

• A steering committee of directors general from the authorities and organizations
• represented in the platform which is responsible for the overall direction of the work.
• An authority network with representatives from the contributing authorities and organizations. The authority network carries out the day-to-day platform work.
• A secretariat at the MSB, which is responsible for the coordination, communication and administration of platform work. The MSB is also the point of contact for the Hyogo Framework for Action (HFA).
• Working groups that can be formed to work on limited specific tasks.
  Reference groups can be formed when there is a specific need.

The following authorities are represented on the platform:

Swedish Transport Administration; Swedish National Board of Housing, Building and Planning; Swedish Energy Agency; Lantmäteriet (the mapping, cadastral and land registration authority); Swedish National Food Administration;  the County Administrative Boards; MSB; Swedish Environmental Protection Agency; Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency; Swedish Forest Agency; Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute; Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare; Swedish Geotechnical Institute; Svenska Kraftnät (the national grid); Geological Survey of Sweden; Swedish Association of Local Authorities and Regions; Swedish National Heritage Board.

Budget

MSB has in 2011 approximately 900 000 SEK for the national platform covering costs for studies, reports, brochures, national meetings and seminars, and travel and per diem for international meetings attended by the HFA focal point and other staff of the secretariat. The other authorities in the platform contribute with their time when they participate in meetings and working groups and with extra financing for studies of particular interest to them.

Aims

The overall purpose of the work within the framework of the national platform is to prevent and mitigate the consequences of natural disasters by improving coordination at local, regional and national levels.
The objectives for Sweden’s national platform are:

• To create a safer Sweden by reducing the risks for and increasing societal capacities for dealing with natural disasters.
• To provide an arena for cooperation between organizations and existing networks so as to increase the collective capabilities of societal stakeholders.
• To support stakeholders with data for their work on natural disasters at local, regional and national levels.

Activities

The work of the platform is conducted in three target areas and can pertain to national or international activities:

• Cooperation and coordination between authorities and organizations
• Effective data supply
• Research & development and the supply of knowledge

Work is carried out in activities and initiatives, to which the participating authorities have contributed resources, or in activities initiated by the authorities responsible, or through the participation of other stakeholders. Activities can take the form of, for example, seminars, studies or projects.