When Roads Become Vulnerable : Climate Risk & Accessibility in Härjedalen Municipality

Sammanfattning

Climate change is increasing the vulnerability of transport infrastructure through more frequent heavy precipitation, flooding, erosion, and unstable ground conditions. These challenges are particularly important in rural municipalities where settlements often depend on a limited number of roads to access essential services. This study examines climate-related vulnerability within the road network of Härjedalen Municipality, Sweden, and analyses how disruptions to vulnerable road segments may affect accessibility. The study applies a GIS-based approach combining environmental and infrastructural datasets, including precipitation, soil types, slope, proximity to watercourses, and road network data. A weighted overlay analysis was used to identify areas of elevated vulnerability, while network analysis was conducted to assess accessibility to health centres and schools providing education for grades 7–9 under both normal and disruption scenarios. The results show that the highest levels of vulnerability are concentrated in areas where multiple environmental factors overlap, particularly in the western and northwestern parts of the municipality. Higher precipitation levels, steeper terrain, sensitive soil types, and proximity to watercourses contribute to increased vulnerability. The accessibility analysis for both schools and health centres demonstrate that disruptions affecting key road segments can lead to longer travel distances and reduced accessibility, particularly for settlements such as Lofsdalen and Vemhån where alternative routes are limited. The study concludes that climate-related vulnerability within the road network has implications beyond transport infrastructure alone, influencing access to essential services and everyday mobility. The findings highlight the importance of integrating climate adaptation and transport resilience into rural planning and infrastructure management.