In response to increased security threats since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Norway intends to make bomb shelters mandatory in all new buildings. This is aimed at increasing the crisis resilience of its civil society, reversing a 1998 decision that had put on hold such requirements for buildings above 1,000 square meters. The move was announced in a white paper on “total preparedness” released on Friday.
The report indicates that no bomb shelters have been built in Norway since the 1998 decision. Today, only about 45% of the population has access to bomb shelters, which is behind other Nordic countries such as Finland, Denmark, and Sweden, where coverage ranges from 70% to 90%.
This initiative fits into a trend within the region of improving readiness for crises including, but not limited to, military, natural disasters, and cyber-based attacks. Nordic countries are indeed amassing supplies for emergency needs and fortifying financial systems in case the nation faces the disaster.
Norway has also tightened rules on foreign investments in strategic industries and is currently contemplating further regulations to bring the country in line with EU directives. Other pending proposals include strict pre-approval of property acquisition within military camps and other crucial infrastructure and obligatory registration of real estate ownership for greater transparency purposes.
These steps demonstrate Norway’s dedication to protecting its national security and building resilience against changing global threats.
