In Uncertain Times – SLU Shows How Forests Strengthen Sweden’s Preparedness

Four researchers, four perspectives

The campaign features interviews with four SLU researchers:

• Maksym Matsala: researches forest fires under armed conflict and what Sweden can learn for crisis preparedness.
• Olga Wepryk: studies how prescribed burning can reduce wildfire risks and support sustainable forest management.
• Emily Delin: investigates how recurring drought affects forest resilience and how early detection can strengthen preparedness.
• Narayanan Subramanian: models storm impacts and cost-effective adaptation strategies for forest owners and national planning.

The Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency (MSB) also participates in the campaign, emphasizing in an interview how forest research can contribute to increased crisis preparedness and societal resilience.

Connecting forests to societal resilience

Extreme weather events, forest fires, and slow-onset crises like drought not only threaten Sweden’s ecosystems but also impact people, infrastructure, and the economy. By combining field research, simulations, and national preparedness strategies, the campaign demonstrates how scientific knowledge can be directly applied to civil protection and climate adaptation.

“We often talk about defense, energy, and food security—but rarely about forests. Yet they are essential for both societal safety and our future preparedness. With this campaign, we want to highlight the forest’s role and reach a new audience who, like me, may not have previously been very familiar with forest research and its importance to society,” says Tashina Alavi, campaign lead.

“Effectively managing wildfires requires collaboration across multiple sectors – but also a stronger focus on prevention. Forest research is essential for providing well-founded recommendations to landowners, forest managers, and urban planners,” says Jenny Sander, wildfire expert at the Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency (MSB), who participates in the campaign.

Through the campaign, SLU aims to offer new perspectives on forests — not just as a natural resource, but as a cornerstone of Sweden’s preparedness and future resilience. At a time when issues of security and resilience are high on the agenda, forests become part of the solution.