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Enhancing Security, Sustainability and Resilience in Energy, Food and Water

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Environmental Sustainability and Applications".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 October 2019) | Viewed by 78798

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A printed edition of this Special Issue is available here.

Special Issue Editors

Water & Development Research Group, Aalto University, 02015 Espoo, Finland
Interests: sustainability; resilience; multi-, inter- and transdisciplinarity; science-policy-stakeholder interactions; scenarios
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Winland Consortium/Water & Development Research Group, Aalto University, 02015 Espoo, Finland
Interests: natural resources governance; water security; water stewardship; multi-stakeholder processes; co-creation
Water & Development Research Group, Aalto University, 00076 Espoo, Finland
Interests: security and sustainability linkages; water-energy-food nexus; water management; global resource issues; climate change
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue calls for multi-, inter- and transdisciplinary research articles that study the connections between security, sustainability and resilience, as well as their practical applications at different scales. Of particular interest will be contributions focusing on the relevance of energy, food and water to those three concepts (separately or together). This is also the focus of Winland project funded by the Strategic Research Council at the Academy of Finland (http://winlandtutkimus.fi/english). Given the increasing pressures to all those three resource sectors, recognising and analyzing the ways to support planning and policy processes with the help of system analysis, scenario planning and co-creation, for example, are expected to be an important part of the Special Issue.

Why such Special Issue? Because security and sustainability are increasingly connected. The use of security as a concept has broadened from national security concerns to other sectors and scales, extending to considerations of planetary security (e.g., Hettne 2010; World Economic Forum 2017; Schlag et al. 2017; Ligtvoet et al. 2017). Security is today also defining policies and practices related to sustainable use of natural resources, such as energy (e.g., Ranjan and Hughes 2014; Kucharski and Unesaki 2015; Strambo et al. 2015; Sovacool 2016), food (e.g., Godfray et al., 2010; Lang and Barling, 2012) and water (e.g., Bakker 2012; Zeitoun et al. 2016).

While energy, food and water, as resources, are all critically important for society, their availability is becoming increasingly constrained, with drastic differences between regions and actors in accessing them (Foley et al. 2011; Goldthau 2014; Kummu et al. 2016). The resource flows and value chains also cross national boundaries, making their governance interconnected and transnational by its nature. The three resource sectors are also inherently linked, as is emphasised by different nexus approaches (e.g., Keskinen and Varis 2016). All these features illustrate the relevance of these resources for security, and call for systemic and future-orientated thinking as well as understanding of the complexities included in such connections.

Closely related to both sustainability and security is the concept of resilience. Resilience has typically focused on the capacity of socio-ecological systems to withstand and respond to changes—whether environmental, economic, social or political (e.g., Holling 1973, Folke et al. 2010). Yet, the applications of resilience have broadened as well, and currently encompass also security-related aspects under concepts such as state resilience or societal resilience (e.g., Juntunen and Hyvonen 2014; European Union 2016; Juncos 2016; Shea 2016).

Together, the broadened interpretations of security and resilience can help in analysing and understanding the intricate interlinkages between security and sustainability (see also Seager 2008; Fiksel et al. 2011; Marchese et al 2018). Instead of focusing on global development challenges or national security threats separately, the concepts can help to set the focus on the capacity of humankind to ensure both national security and sustainable use of critical resources under global changes. At the same time, their broadened conceptualisation has arguably allowed different interpretations by various actors, making their practical implementation particularly politicised.

References

  1. Bakker, K. (2012). Water security: research challenges and opportunities. Science, 337(6097): 914-915.
  2. European Union (2016). A Global Strategy for the European Union’s Foreign and Security Policy.
  3. Fiksel, J., Goodman, I. & Hecht, A. (2014). Resilience: Navigating toward a Sustainable Future. Solutions, 5(5): 38-47.
  4. Foley, J.A., Ramankutty, N., Brauman, K.A., Cassidy, E.S., Gerber, J.S., Johnston, M., Mueller, N.D., O’Connell, C., Ray, D.K., West, P.C., Balzer, C., Bennett, E.M., Carpenter, S.R., Hill, J., Monfreda, C., Polasky, S., Rockstrom, J., Sheehan, J., Siebert, S., Tilman, D. & Zaks, D.P.M. (2011). Solutions for a cultivated planet. Nature, 478:337–342.
  5. Folke, C., Carpenter, S.R., Walker, B., Scheffer, M., Chapin, T. & Rockstrom, J. (2010). Resilience thinking: integrating resilience, adaptability and transformability. Ecology and Society, 15(4): 20.
  6. Godfray, H.C.J., Beddington, J.R., Crute, I.R., Haddad, L., Lawrence, D., Muir, J.F., Pretty, J., Robinson, S., Thomas, S.M., & Toulmin, C. (2010). Food Security: The Challenge of Feeding 9 Billion People. Science, 327, 812–818.
  7. Goldthau, A. (2014). Rethinking the governance of energy infrastructure: Scale, decentralization and polycentrism. Energy Research & Social Science, 1:134-140.
  8. Hettne, B. (2010). Development and Security: Origins and Future. Security Dialogue, 41(1): 31–52.
  9. Holling, C. S. (1973). Resilience and stability of ecological systems. Annual Review of Ecology and Systematics, 4:1–23.
  10. Juncos, A. E. (2016). Resilience as the new EU foreign policy paradigm: a pragmatist turn? European Security, 26(1):1–18.
  11. Juntunen, T. & Hyvonen, A. (2014). Resilience, security and the politics of processes. Resilience: International Policies, Practices and Discourses, 2(3): 195–209.
  12. Keskinen, M. & Varis, O. (2016). Water-Energy-Food Nexus in Large Asian River Basins. Water 8(10):446.
  13. Kucharski, J. & Unesaki, H. (2015). A Policy-oriented Approach to Energy Security. Procedia Environmental Sciences, 28:27-36.
  14. Kummu, M., Guillaume, J.H.A., de Moel, H., Eisner, S., Florke, M., Porkka, M., Siebert, S., Veldkamp, T. & Ward, P.J. (2016). The world’s road to water scarcity: Shortage and stress in the 20th century and pathways towards sustainability. Scientific Reports, 6::38495.
  15. Lang, T. & Barling, D. (2012). Food security and food sustainability: reformulating the debate. Geographical Journal, 178:313–326.
  16. Ligtvoet, W., Knoop, J., de Bruin, S., van Vuuren, D., Visser H., Meijer, K., Dahm, R. & van Schaik, L. (2017). Water, climate and conflict - security risks on the increase? Briefing Note, Planetary Security Initiative.
  17. Marchese, D., Reynolds, E., Bates, M., Morgan, H., Spierre Clark, S. & Linkov, I. (2018). Resilience and sustainability: Similarities and differences in environmental management applications. Science of the Total Environment, 613–614(2018): 1275–1283.
  18. Schlag, G., Junk J. & Daase D. (2016). Transformations of Security Studies: Dialogues, Diversity and Discipline. Routledge.
  19. Seager, T.P. (2008). The Sustainability Spectrum and the Sciences of Sustainability. Business Strategy and the Environment, 17(7): 444–453.
  20. Shea, J. (2016). Resilience: a core element of collective defence, NATO Review. http://www.nato.int/docu/Review/2016/Also-in-2016/nato-defence-cyber-resilience/EN.
  21. Sovacool, B. (2016). Differing cultures of energy security: An international comparison of public perceptions. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 55:811–822.
  22. Strambo, C. Nilsson, M. & Mansson, A. (2015) Coherent or inconsistent? Assessing energy security and climate policy interaction within the European Union. Energy Research and Social Science, 8: 1–12.
  23. Ranjan, A. & Hughes, L. (2014). Energy security and the diversity of energy flows in an energy system. Energy, 73: 137–144.
  24. World Economic Forum (2017). The Global Risks Report 2017, 12th Edition. Available online: https://www.weforum.org/reports/the-global-risks-report-2017.
  25. Zeitoun, M., Lankford, B., Kruegerc, T., Forsyth, T., Carter, R., Hoekstra, A.Y., Taylor, R., Varis, O., Cleaver, F., Boelens, R., Swatuk, L., Tickner, D., Scott, C.A., Mirumachi, N. & Matthews, N. (2016) Reductionist and integrative research approaches to complex water security policy challenges. Global environmental change, 39 (2016): 143-154.

For possible extension of submission deadline, please contact Special Issue editors.

Dr. Marko Keskinen
Dr. Suvi Sojamo
Prof. Olli Varis
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

  • security, resilience, sustainability, energy, food, water, climate
  • multidisciplinarity, interdisciplinarity, scenarios, co-creation

Published Papers (11 papers)

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Editorial

Jump to: Research

8 pages, 212 KiB  
Editorial
Enhancing Security, Sustainability and Resilience in Energy, Food and Water
by Marko Keskinen, Suvi Sojamo and Olli Varis
Sustainability 2019, 11(24), 7244; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su11247244 - 17 Dec 2019
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 3021
Abstract
Our societies build largely on the concept of security and the ultimate justification for our present-day states is to ensure internal and external security of their citizens. While this task has traditionally focused on local and national scales, globalisation and planetary-scale challenges such [...] Read more.
Our societies build largely on the concept of security and the ultimate justification for our present-day states is to ensure internal and external security of their citizens. While this task has traditionally focused on local and national scales, globalisation and planetary-scale challenges such as climate change mean that security connects also to a variety of sectors and has a stronger global dimension. Security is therefore increasingly connected with sustainability, which seeks to ensure that we as humans are able to live and prosper on this planet now and in the future. The concepts of energy security, food security and water security—as being used separately or together—manifest the burgeoning linkages between security and sustainability. This Special Issue brings together ten scientific articles that look at different aspects of security, sustainability and resilience with an emphasis on energy, food and/or water in the context of Finland and Europe. In this Editorial, we introduce the key concepts of the Special Issue, synthesise the articles’ key findings and discuss their relevance for the on-going deliberations on security and sustainability. We conclude that ensuring sustainable security—or secure sustainability—requires systemic, structured processes that link the policies and actors in these two important but still distant fields. Full article

Research

Jump to: Editorial

14 pages, 565 KiB  
Article
From Top–Down Regulation to Bottom–Up Solutions: Reconfiguring Governance of Agricultural Nutrient Loading to Waters
by Antti Belinskij, Antti Iho, Tiina Paloniitty and Niko Soininen
Sustainability 2019, 11(19), 5364; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su11195364 - 27 Sep 2019
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 3806
Abstract
Animal agriculture is shifting toward larger farms and regional agglomerations in many countries. In step with this development, manure nutrients have started accumulating regionally, and are leading to increasing eutrophication problems. Nevertheless, the same trend may also prompt innovations in manure treatment. For [...] Read more.
Animal agriculture is shifting toward larger farms and regional agglomerations in many countries. In step with this development, manure nutrients have started accumulating regionally, and are leading to increasing eutrophication problems. Nevertheless, the same trend may also prompt innovations in manure treatment. For example, Valio Ltd (the largest dairy processer in Finland) is planning a network of facilities that would remove water from manure, fraction the nutrients in it, and produce biogas from the excess methane. One of the main hurdles in developing this technology is that the current regulatory framework does not support a shift from diffuse loading, which is seen in the traditional application of manure on fields, to point-source loading; the regulations may even prevent such a change. This article analyzes a governance framework that addresses this dilemma in EU–Finland, and discusses how the governance described could curtail the nutrient loading of agriculture to waters. The approach is based on adaptive governance theory. We argue that traditional top–down regulation, which emphasizes food security, contains serious shortcomings when it comes to managing agricultural nutrient loading to waters, and that the current regulatory framework does not necessarily have the adaptive capacity to facilitate new, bottom–up solutions for manure treatment. Interestingly, the strict water quality requirements of the EU Water Framework Directive (2000/60/EC) open new windows of opportunity for such solutions, and thus for improving the overall sustainability of animal agriculture. Full article
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24 pages, 2073 KiB  
Article
A Framework for Assessing Water Security and the Water–Energy–Food Nexus—The Case of Finland
by Mika Marttunen, Jyri Mustajoki, Suvi Sojamo, Lauri Ahopelto and Marko Keskinen
Sustainability 2019, 11(10), 2900; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su11102900 - 22 May 2019
Cited by 39 | Viewed by 9166
Abstract
Water security demands guaranteeing economic, social and environmental sustainability and simultaneously addressing the diversity of risks and threats related to water. Various frameworks have been suggested to support water security assessment. They are typically based on indexes enabling national comparisons; these may, however, [...] Read more.
Water security demands guaranteeing economic, social and environmental sustainability and simultaneously addressing the diversity of risks and threats related to water. Various frameworks have been suggested to support water security assessment. They are typically based on indexes enabling national comparisons; these may, however, oversimplify complex and often contested water issues. We developed a structured and systemic way to assess water security and its future trends via a participatory process. The framework establishes a criteria hierarchy for water security, consisting of four main themes: the state of the water environment; human health and well-being; the sustainability of livelihoods; and the stability, functions and responsibility of society. The framework further enables the analysis of relationships between the water security criteria as well as between water, energy and food security. The framework was applied to a national water security assessment of Finland in 2018 and 2030. Our experience indicates that using the framework collaboratively with stakeholders provides a meaningful way to improve understanding and to facilitate discussion about the state of water security and the actions needed for its improvement. Full article
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26 pages, 2683 KiB  
Article
Severe Drought in Finland: Modeling Effects on Water Resources and Assessing Climate Change Impacts
by Noora Veijalainen, Lauri Ahopelto, Mika Marttunen, Jaakko Jääskeläinen, Ritva Britschgi, Mirjam Orvomaa, Antti Belinskij and Marko Keskinen
Sustainability 2019, 11(8), 2450; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su11082450 - 25 Apr 2019
Cited by 28 | Viewed by 10466
Abstract
Severe droughts cause substantial damage to different socio-economic sectors, and even Finland, which has abundant water resources, is not immune to their impacts. To assess the implications of a severe drought in Finland, we carried out a national scale drought impact analysis. Firstly, [...] Read more.
Severe droughts cause substantial damage to different socio-economic sectors, and even Finland, which has abundant water resources, is not immune to their impacts. To assess the implications of a severe drought in Finland, we carried out a national scale drought impact analysis. Firstly, we simulated water levels and discharges during the severe drought of 1939–1942 (the reference drought) in present-day Finland with a hydrological model. Secondly, we estimated how climate change would alter droughts. Thirdly, we assessed the impact of drought on key water use sectors, with a focus on hydropower and water supply. The results indicate that the long-lasting reference drought caused the discharges to decrease at most by 80% compared to the average annual minimum discharges. The water levels generally fell to the lowest levels in the largest lakes in Central and South-Eastern Finland. Climate change scenarios project on average a small decrease in the lowest water levels during droughts. Severe drought would have a significant impact on water-related sectors, reducing water supply and hydropower production. In this way drought is a risk multiplier for the water–energy–food security nexus. We suggest that the resilience to droughts could be improved with region-specific drought management plans and by including droughts in existing regional preparedness exercises. Full article
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14 pages, 266 KiB  
Article
A Lot of Talk, But Little Action—The Blind Spots of Nordic Environmental Security Policy
by Emma Hakala, Ville Lähde, Antti Majava, Tero Toivanen, Tere Vadén, Paavo Järvensivu and Jussi T. Eronen
Sustainability 2019, 11(8), 2379; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su11082379 - 22 Apr 2019
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 4401
Abstract
Despite an increasing recognition that environmental change may have implications for security, there only are few policies to address the issue. This article will look at environmental security policies in Finland and Sweden and propose ways to develop more effective measures. It relies [...] Read more.
Despite an increasing recognition that environmental change may have implications for security, there only are few policies to address the issue. This article will look at environmental security policies in Finland and Sweden and propose ways to develop more effective measures. It relies on a three-level framework that aims to enable the identification of environmental security impacts by categorising them into local, geopolitical and structural ones. The article will examine present environmental security strategies and policies in Finland and Sweden, consider their efficacy for addressing various kinds of impacts and point out approaches that are currently missing. Based on the discussion, it argues that a comprehensive policy approach is needed to tackle environmental security impacts. This requires closer coordination and interchange between sectors as well as strategic intent. In addition, further research is needed on the structural impacts of mitigating and adapting to environmental change. Full article
15 pages, 267 KiB  
Article
Northern Warning Lights: Ambiguities of Environmental Security in Finland and Sweden
by Emma Hakala, Ville Lähde, Antti Majava, Tero Toivanen, Tere Vadén, Paavo Järvensivu and Jussi T. Eronen
Sustainability 2019, 11(8), 2228; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su11082228 - 13 Apr 2019
Cited by 16 | Viewed by 6259
Abstract
As the literature on environmental security has evolved and widened, knowledge of the full range of potential consequences of environmental change for different societies remains scattered. This article contributes to a more comprehensive approach to the implications of environmental change by providing a [...] Read more.
As the literature on environmental security has evolved and widened, knowledge of the full range of potential consequences of environmental change for different societies remains scattered. This article contributes to a more comprehensive approach to the implications of environmental change by providing a three-level framework of the security impacts. In particular, it will address gaps in knowledge by pointing out the relevance of geopolitical and structural factors behind environmental security impacts. The article will focus on the cases of two countries, Finland and Sweden—both seen as stable, high-income democracies that are well equipped to adapt to climate risks. Yet even under these conditions, preparedness to threat-prevention will not follow without a recognition of the full range of risks, including ones that are linked to socio-economic and geopolitical factors. On the basis of the Finnish and Swedish cases, the article proposes an analytical framework of three categories of environmental security impacts: local, geopolitical and structural. Full article
18 pages, 4413 KiB  
Article
Can There be Water Scarcity with Abundance of Water? Analyzing Water Stress during a Severe Drought in Finland
by Lauri Ahopelto, Noora Veijalainen, Joseph H. A. Guillaume, Marko Keskinen, Mika Marttunen and Olli Varis
Sustainability 2019, 11(6), 1548; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su11061548 - 14 Mar 2019
Cited by 22 | Viewed by 7813
Abstract
Severe droughts can affect water security even in countries with ample water resources. In addition, droughts are estimated to become more frequent in several regions due to changing climate. Drought affects many socio-economic sectors (e.g., agriculture, water supply, and industry), as it did [...] Read more.
Severe droughts can affect water security even in countries with ample water resources. In addition, droughts are estimated to become more frequent in several regions due to changing climate. Drought affects many socio-economic sectors (e.g., agriculture, water supply, and industry), as it did in 2018 in Finland. Understanding the basin-wide picture is crucial in drought management planning. To identify vulnerable and water stressed areas in Finland, a water use-to-availability analysis was executed with a reference drought. Water stress was analyzed with the Water Depletion Index WDI. The analysis was executed using national water permits and databases. To represent a severe but realistic drought event, we modelled discharges and runoffs from the worst drought of the last century in Finland (1939–1942). The potential for performing similar analyses in data scarce contexts was also tested using estimates from global models as a screening tool. The results show that the South and Southwest of Finland would have problems with water availability during a severe drought. The most vulnerable areas would benefit from drought mitigation measures and management plans. These measures could be incorporated into the EU River Basin Management Plans. Full article
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18 pages, 1981 KiB  
Article
Food Preferences in Finland: Sustainable Diets and their Differences between Groups
by Elina Lehikoinen and Arto O. Salonen
Sustainability 2019, 11(5), 1259; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su11051259 - 27 Feb 2019
Cited by 19 | Viewed by 9832
Abstract
The world is facing the great challenge of how to feed the increasing and wealthier population sustainably in the future, with already limited natural resources. The existing literature reveals the negative impacts of animal-based diets, and thus global diet changes are required to [...] Read more.
The world is facing the great challenge of how to feed the increasing and wealthier population sustainably in the future, with already limited natural resources. The existing literature reveals the negative impacts of animal-based diets, and thus global diet changes are required to ensure future food availability. Nevertheless, it is important to acknowledge that food consumption is more than caloric intake—it is based on personal preferences. We assessed how sustainable food choices vary among Finnish citizens. The respondents (n = 2052) answered nine statements about their consumption behavior. We applied quantitative and qualitative methods, and our results indicate that favoring plant-based diets was the highest among people under 30 and above 60 years old. Middle-aged men with high incomes was the most reluctant group to adopt sustainable diets. Health-related issues and origin of food were the most preferred reasons for food choices, while environmental awareness was ranked lower. The key to mainstream sustainable diets lies in the co-benefits —transition towards more sustainable diets among Finns could be possible, if people felt that they can combine the selfish, hedonistic factors (e.g., health, weight loss) and altruistic factors (e.g., ecological benefits) in their everyday diets. Full article
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20 pages, 2412 KiB  
Article
Cattle Production for Exports in Water-Abundant Areas: The Case of Finland
by Elina Lehikoinen, Tuure Parviainen, Juha Helenius, Mika Jalava, Arto O. Salonen and Matti Kummu
Sustainability 2019, 11(4), 1075; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su11041075 - 19 Feb 2019
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 6750
Abstract
Water scarcity is a severe global threat, and it will only become more critical with a growing and wealthier population. Annually, considerable volumes of water are transferred virtually through the global food system to secure nations’ food supply and to diversify diets. Our [...] Read more.
Water scarcity is a severe global threat, and it will only become more critical with a growing and wealthier population. Annually, considerable volumes of water are transferred virtually through the global food system to secure nations’ food supply and to diversify diets. Our objective is to assess, whether specializing water-intensive production for exports in areas with an abundance of natural resources, would contribute to globally resource-efficient food production. We calculated Finland’s virtual water net export potential (four scenarios) by reallocating the present underutilized agricultural land and combining that with a domestic diet change (three scenarios) to maximize the exports of cattle products. Assessed scenarios indicate that the greatest potential to net export virtual water (3.7 billion m3 year−1, 25-time increase to current) was achieved when local production was maximized with domestic and exported feed, and bovine meat consumption in Finland was replaced with a vegetarian substitute. This corresponds to annual virtual water consumption for food of about 3.6 million global citizens (assuming 1032 m3 cap−1 year−1). Therefore our results suggest, that optimizing water-intensive production to water-rich areas, has a significant impact on global water savings. In addition, increasing exports from such areas by decreasing the domestic demand for water-intensive products to meet the nutrition recommendation levels, saves water resources. Full article
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18 pages, 546 KiB  
Article
Critical Infrastructures: The Operational Environment in Cases of Severe Disruption
by Ossi Heino, Annina Takala, Pirjo Jukarainen, Joanna Kalalahti, Tuula Kekki and Pekka Verho
Sustainability 2019, 11(3), 838; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su11030838 - 06 Feb 2019
Cited by 15 | Viewed by 5131
Abstract
The functioning and resilience of modern societies have become more and more dependent on critical infrastructures. Severe disturbance to critical infrastructure is likely to reveal chaotic operational conditions, in which infrastructure service providers, emergency services, police, municipalities, and other key stakeholders must act [...] Read more.
The functioning and resilience of modern societies have become more and more dependent on critical infrastructures. Severe disturbance to critical infrastructure is likely to reveal chaotic operational conditions, in which infrastructure service providers, emergency services, police, municipalities, and other key stakeholders must act effectively to minimize damages and restore normal operations. This paper aims to better understand this kind of operational environment resulting from, for example, a terrorist attack. It emphasizes mutual interdependencies among key stakeholders in such situations. The empirical contribution is based on observations from a workshop, in which participants representing the critical services and infrastructures in Finland discussed in thematic groups. Two scenarios guided the workshop discussions; nationwide electricity grid disruption and presumably intentionally contaminated water supply in a city. The results indicate that more attention should be paid to the interdependencies between critical infrastructures, as well as to the latent vulnerabilities hidden inside the systems. Furthermore, producing security seems to require continuous interaction and creation of meanings between extremely different actors and logics. This implies a need for changes in thinking, particularly concerning the ability to define problems across conventional administrative structures, geographical boundaries and conferred powers. Full article
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25 pages, 663 KiB  
Article
Finland’s Dependence on Russian Energy—Mutually Beneficial Trade Relations or an Energy Security Threat?
by Jaakko J. Jääskeläinen, Sakari Höysniemi, Sanna Syri and Veli-Pekka Tynkkynen
Sustainability 2018, 10(10), 3445; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su10103445 - 27 Sep 2018
Cited by 27 | Viewed by 10596
Abstract
Studies on energy security in the context of relations between European Union (EU) and Russia tend to focus on cases, with an open conflict related to supply, such as “hard” energy weapons, or on only one fuel, often natural gas. However, there is [...] Read more.
Studies on energy security in the context of relations between European Union (EU) and Russia tend to focus on cases, with an open conflict related to supply, such as “hard” energy weapons, or on only one fuel, often natural gas. However, there is a need to understand the long-term impacts that energy relations have politically, economically and physically, and their linkages between resilience, sustainability and security. We analyse the Finnish-Russian energy relations as a case study, as they are characterised by a non-conflictual relationship. To assess this complex relationship, we apply the interdependence framework to analyse both the energy systems and energy strategies of Finland and Russia, and the energy security issues related to the notable import dependence on one supplier. Moreover, we analyse the plausible development of the energy trade between the countries in three different energy policy scenarios until 2040. The findings of the article shed light on how the trends in energy markets, climate change mitigation and broader societal and political trends could influence Russia’s energy trade relations with countries, such as Finland. Our analysis shows that Finland’s dependence on primary energy imports does not pose an acute energy security threat in terms of sheer supply, and the dependence is unlikely to worsen in the future. However, due to the difficulty in anticipating societal, political, and economic trends, there are possible developments that could affect Finland. Full article
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