Multi-risk governance approach for interconnected critical infrastructures

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Being vital for the functioning of modern economies, electricity transmission infrastructure is therefore regarded as a critical infrastructure. Failure in electricity delivery can result in significant economic costs and the collapse of modern economic and social life as industry, communication systems, transportation and several other sectors depend on the secure and reliable supply of electricity.

Mitigating and managing risks of blackouts and power outages in electricity transmission grids is a challenging task and requires a multi-risk governance approach due to the complexity of the electricity transmission system and a large number of involved stakeholders at various levels of governance. The electricity transmission grids can also become a subject of multiple or multi-risks, including their conjoint and cascading effects as well as transboundary risks when a power outage which appears at one part of the system and within one country can spread to other parts of the system and other countries.

Dr. Nadejda Komendantova from Cooperation and Transformative Governance group is invited to speak at the workshop “Vulnerability of the electrical grid and interdependent critical infrastructures to extraordinary disruptive events” organized by the Department of Electrical Engineering of the Uppsala University.

Her talk titled “Multi-risk governance and resilience of electricity transmission grids” includes the discussion of the need of a multi-risk governance framework which goes across such phases as risk mitigation and observation, risk assessment and management as well as risk communication.