CASCADE: Combining Advanced Systems for Climate Adaptation and Disaster Enhancement in Stockholm
CASCADE is an interdisciplinary research initiative that tackles the escalating risks posed by multiple hydrometeorological hazards, such as floods, droughts, heatwaves, and their cascading effects on critical urban infrastructure. These hazards are expected to increase in frequency and severity due to climate change, posing significant challenges to urban resilience and sustainability.
This project focuses on enhancing the Stockholm region’s preparedness and adaptive capacity by developing innovative tools and strategies for systemic risk assessment and adaptive planning. CASCADE represents a collaborative effort between KTH Royal Institute of Technology, RISE Research Institutes of Sweden, and the City of Stockholm, combining advanced technologies with practical applications to create impactful solutions.
Project Objectives
The primary goal of CASCADE is to enhance resilience and preparedness in Stockholm against interconnected hydrometeorological risks. Key objectives include:
- Advanced Monitoring and Prediction Systems: Developing sophisticated tools to monitor and predict hotspots of hydrometeorological hazards using state-of-the-art AI technologies like deep learning and multivariate analysis.
- Systemic Risk Analysis: Assessing vulnerabilities and cascading impacts across interconnected infrastructure networks, such as transport, energy, and water systems, to identify weak points and prioritize interventions.
- Adaptive Tools and Action Roadmaps: Designing a Multi-Hazard Adaptive Warning System (AWS) that integrates real-time data with advanced visualization, enabling stakeholders to make informed decisions. Co-created action roadmaps will ensure practical and sustainable solutions for the region’s most at-risk areas.
Innovative Approach
CASCADE integrates cutting-edge technologies, including advanced AI models, real-time data streams, and interactive dashboards, to address critical gaps in disaster preparedness and climate adaptation. Unlike traditional single-hazard models, this project emphasizes cascading effects, where one failure can trigger a chain reaction across infrastructure systems. By involving stakeholders such as urban planners, emergency managers, and policymakers, the project ensures that solutions are not only scientifically robust but also contextually relevant and actionable.
Expected Impact
The outcomes of CASCADE will directly contribute to the Stockholm region’s climate adaptation and societal security, supporting its goals for sustainable urban development as outlined in Agenda 2030. The project’s deliverables include:
- Enhanced decision-making tools that provide actionable insights for managing hydrometeorological risks.
- Improved resilience of critical infrastructure, ensuring the continuity of societal services during extreme weather events.
- Scalable solutions that can inform disaster risk management strategies in other urban contexts globally.
Collaborative Framework
CASCADE exemplifies the potential of collaboration between academia, research institutes, and public authorities. This partnership ensures that the tools and strategies developed are firmly rooted in real-world applications, addressing the specific challenges faced by urban areas like Stockholm. By working closely with stakeholders from the City of Stockholm, the project fosters long-term resilience and sustainability while contributing to global climate adaptation efforts.
Project period
January 2025 to December 2026
Funding
This project is funded by Digital Futures .
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