Assessing the cascading impacts of natural hazards on Critical National Infrastructure (CNI) using Scotland as a case study

This paper explores the cross-sectoral cascading impacts of extreme weather events on Critical National Infrastructure (CNI) to evidence the interconnected vulnerabilities across energy, water, transport and telecommunications. Using Storm Éowyn from 2025, cross-sectoral disruptions and impacts to Scotland's CNI are explored through a co-designed workshop and survey.

As a result, we strongly recommend that resilience planning should prioritise mapping infrastructure interdependencies, strengthening cross-sector coordination and recovery protocols, enhancing backup capabilities such as mobile generators and redundant communication systems, and improving situational awareness through integrated monitoring and early warning systems. Ultimately, building resilience in one sector alone is no longer sufficient. A systems-based approach is essential, which recognises interdependencies, anticipates cascading failures, and is designed for integrated response and recovery across all core lifeline services.