Civil protection How Sweden prepares for emergencies As of: October 22, 2026 • 6:35 p.m

Wars, extreme weather, terror: Sweden prepares its population for possible emergencies - for example with a brochure and exercises. Because it is also clear that if the worst comes to the worst, people will first have to cope on their own.

At the end of September in the small town of Grums in central Sweden: Lars-Göran Wadén is expecting an exciting night. The wheelchair user is locked in a bunker along with around 40 others.

“It feels meaningful to be able to take part in such an exercise as a person with a disability and share your experiences,” he says. Shelters are usually in the basement where there are stairs. "So it's about how do I even get down there. And then you have to try to somehow get to the toilet if you're down there for a long time. As far as I know, there's just a bucket where you're supposed to put your needs in a bag."

Hospitals play a central role in civil defense cases. more

A night in a bunker without running water or electricity, on mattresses on the floor - not an everyday experience for the other participants either. The mood is still good for most people. “I found a really cozy corner with lots of space,” says Eva Nordström. "I took a lot of things with me, a headlamp for example."

Nordström is also voluntarily taking part in the exercise as part of the 10th Swedish Preparedness Week. Many municipalities and private companies get involved on such occasions, emphasizes Anna Lihr from the Swedish Civil Protection Authority:

Russia's massive attacks on western Ukraine are also being felt in Poland. How do you deal with it there? more

Total defense means: In the event of a military attack, all people in Sweden between the ages of 16 and 70 can be used for military or civilian tasks. The concept dates back to the Cold War era.

The Swedes can also find out what to do if the country is attacked in a brochure that Lihr's authorities sent out to all households some time ago. It explains, for example, how to protect yourself from air raids and what supplies are necessary to survive for seven days without help from the authorities in an emergency. Alarmism? No, says Lihr.

Ten billion euros should flow into civil defense and disaster protection. What Interior Minister Dobrindt is up to. more

The Swedish authorities are concerned about Russia's war against Ukraine, but also about hybrid threats and the increasing risk of extreme weather events. There is also a crisis awareness among the population, says Alexander Cedergren, assistant professor of social security at Lund University.

The researcher finds crisis exercises like the one in Grums useful; there has been a lot of media coverage about them. “This raises awareness and contributes to general crisis awareness.”

After twelve hours in the underground bunker, everyone in Grums is happy to see daylight again. It's a frightening feeling to put your life in the hands of others, says wheelchair user Lars-Göran Wadén: "I have more questions than before. It's not easy for people in wheelchairs to cope with this."

Even with exemplary crisis preparedness like in Sweden, there is still room for improvement. In any case, after the exercise, Eva Nordström is completely sure what she wants to do first at home: "Shower!"

This topic in the program: tagesschau.de | Civil protection: How Sweden is preparing for emergencies | Oct 21, 2026 | 3:00 p.m.NDR Info | News | Oct 22, 2026 | 05:45 am