Academic Centre
Project will evaluate urban preparedness for emerging risks in the Baltic Sea region - specifically focusing on Riga, Helsinki, and Hamburg. Our objective is to examine how political institutions shape preparedness, how city councils implement action plans, the involvement of citizens in this process, and the overall readiness of both institutions and citizens to respond to emerging threats. By bridging the gap between academic disciplines such as preparedness, resilience, communication and state-citizen relations, we aim to provide actionable insights for policymakers tailored to the needs of the urban populations of the Baltic Sea region.
Part of the project deliverables are expert roundtable discussion with disaster and preparedness experts. On November 14, 2024 the first such discussion was held with Dr. Mikael Wigell from the Finnish Foreign Policy Institute. Dr Wigell has extensive experience writing about and consulting on the security of supply chains, risk and threat analysis, and has intimate knowledge of the Finnish all-hazards approach to disaster preparedness. The roundtable gathered representatives from the Riga city council responsible for the political level disaster response and response, and representatives from the Riga Civil Defense and Operational Information Administration responsible for the operational response.
For more detailed information about the project and the progress of its implementation, please contact Dr. Ieva Birka (ieva.birka@lu.lv) or Dr. Didzis Kļaviņš (didzis.klavins@lu.lv).
Project title: Urban Preparedness for Emerging Risks in the Baltic Sea Region
Project Contract Number: No. 5.2.1.1.i.0/2/24/I/CFLA/007
Project Grant Agreement Number: LU-BA-PA-2024/1-0051
