Sweden needs to develop plans for mass evacuation in the event of war.
Geographical areas expected to be particularly vulnerable will now be identified.
The government decided on Thursday to assign the Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency (MSB) to strengthen population protection in collaboration with county administrative boards.
The assignment includes identifying the geographical areas in Sweden that are expected to be particularly vulnerable to attack in the event of war.
The Swedish Armed Forces will assist in this work to get a better overall picture of the risk scenario for different parts of Sweden, says Minister for Civil Defence Carl-Oskar Bohlin (The Moderate Party).
The assignment also involves identifying which other counties a mass evacuation could be directed to and how people can be accommodated there.
"Has been missing"
According to Bohlin, there is currently not enough planning for how the population will be protected in the event of war.
This is a piece of the puzzle that has been missing, he says.
This is the first time such planning has been carried out since the end of the Cold War, according to the minister.
The assignment also includes reviewing not only the availability of shelters but also protected spaces.
For example, subway stations in the Stockholm area and tunnels, says Bohlin.
A mapping of so-called white spots will be carried out.
Since no shelters have been built in Sweden since 2002, it means that entirely new urban areas may have been developed without access to nearby shelters. In such cases, evacuation may become a more viable alternative.
Important for defence
The assignment is to be completed by the end of 2025.
This is a measure that is required if the security policy situation were to deteriorate further, says Bohlin.
There is no immediate war threat against Sweden.
The planning for how potential evacuations will be carried out will not be complete when the assignment has been completed. For example, municipalities will need to develop more detailed plans. Bohlin cannot say when Sweden's population protection will be good enough.
It's about continuously achieving a linear increase in Sweden's total defence capability.
The war in Ukraine has shown that good population protection is important for defence will and defence capability.
If you can get civilians out of dangerous areas, it reduces the burden on healthcare, for example, says Bohlin.
He also points out that access to protected spaces has been crucial for maintaining some kind of normality in areas affected by sporadic long-range attacks, such as Kiev.
