Patterns of interorganizational collaboration in disaster risk reduction: Evidence from Swedish municipalities

Abstract: Prevention, mitigation and response to large scale disasters is complex. It is widely argued that collaboration is a necessary component of successful disaster risk reduction (DRR). However, there are also significant challenges associated with collaboration for DRR. In this paper I carry out a descriptive, empirical case study of collaboration within disaster prevention and preparation in Sweden at the municipal level. The aim of the study is to identify potentially interesting patterns regarding collaboration and obstacles to collaboration in local disaster risk reduction. The study answers the question: to what extent do Sweden’s municipalities collaborate with other stakeholders on disaster risk reduction? Interesting patterns regarding the stability versus volatility of collaboration are identified. This study lays the foundation for further research on the potential and limitations of collaborative forms of governance for tackling complex societal phenomena that have a high degree of interdependency and uncertainty.