Research Brief: Multi-hazards in Scandinavia: Impacts and risks from compound heatwaves, droughts and wildfires

In summer 2018, much of Scandinavia experienced record heat and severe drought, causing higher mortality, water shortages for farms, reduced hydropower, and rising energy prices. The heatwave, drought, and resulting wildfires formed a multi-hazard event, where several hazards occur together or in sequence. As climate change could increase the likelihood of such events, preparing for them and evaluating mitigation options becomes essential. To enhance understanding and support disaster risk management, we investigate the interactions between heatwaves, droughts, and wildfires across sectors in Scandinavia through a spatial analysis of compound events. We then estimate their direct and indirect economic impacts with the global Computable General Equilibrium (CGE) model GRACE, using the 2018 heatwave–drought for assessing multi-hazard risk.