Norway plans to make shelters mandatory for new buildings

In response to growing security threats, the Norwegian government has announced that it will reinstate the obligation to build and maintain shelters (tilfluktsrom) in new buildings. This is part of efforts to strengthen civil society's resilience to crises - especially after the Russian invasion of Ukraine. A recently published white paper entitled "Comprehensive Preparation" contains detailed information on the future shelter strategy. The government plans to reverse a parliamentary decision from 1998 that had lifted the obligation to build shelters for buildings with a floor area of more than 1,000 square meters. Since then, no new shelters have been built in the Nordic countries. By reintroducing and modernizing these regulations, Norway aims to ensure that the population is better protected in the event of a crisis.