Assessing the cascading impacts of natural hazards on Critical National Infrastructure (CNI) using Scotland as a case study

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Cha, Younghwa and White, Christopher J. and Gonzalez, Paula L. M. and Wallace, Emily and Harkin, David and Brett, Lou and Mattu, Kanzis and Smith, R. Sean and Thom, Craig and Alix, Medlyn D. and Olbert, Caroline and Burnett, Laura and Hampton, Elizabeth and Sheppard, Andrew and Campbell, Alexandra and Rees, Gareth and Steller, Rachael (2025) Assessing the cascading impacts of natural hazards on Critical National Infrastructure (CNI) using Scotland as a case study. npj Natural Hazards, 2. 108. ISSN 2948-2100 (https://doi.org/10.1038/s44304-025-00161-9)

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Abstract

This paper explores the cross-sectoral cascading impacts of extreme weather events on Critical National Infrastructure (CNI) to evidence the interconnected vulnerabilities across energy, water, transport and telecommunications. Using Storm Éowyn from 2025, cross-sectoral disruptions and impacts to Scotland’s CNI are explored through a co-designed workshop and survey. The study identifies key dependencies on electricity and telecommunications infrastructure, providing vital evidence to inform future preparedness and investment strategies for climate-resilient CNI.

ORCID iDs

Cha, Younghwa, White, Christopher J. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1791-4784, Gonzalez, Paula L. M., Wallace, Emily, Harkin, David, Brett, Lou ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1516-3166, Mattu, Kanzis ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8109-9484, Smith, R. Sean, Thom, Craig, Alix, Medlyn D., Olbert, Caroline, Burnett, Laura, Hampton, Elizabeth, Sheppard, Andrew, Campbell, Alexandra, Rees, Gareth and Steller, Rachael;
CORE (COnnecting REpositories)