Burial associations in Sweden Trying to get enough land for something they hope they'll never have to do: bury thousands of people in the event of war.
The finding follows recommendations from the National Secretariat of the Church of Sweden, which reflect crisis preparedness guidelines from the Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency (MSB) and the Swedish Armed Forces.
Preparedness guidelines are cast in a new light by Sweden's decision to join. NATO and tensions with Russia in the Baltic Sea region.
According to the provisions of the Church of Sweden, supported by statutory paragraphs in the Swedish Burial Act, burial associations are responsible for ensuring, if necessary, the availability of sufficient land to bury approximately five percent of the population within a parish. There are
The Goteborg Burial Association, which operates in Sweden's second-largest city, is currently trying to navigate the challenge of acquiring at least 40,470 square meters of land to ensure it can be buried in the event of war. I could handle the immediate burial of about 30,000 dead. This is in addition to another 60,700 square meters of land needed to build cemeteries in Gothenburg.
“(The recommendations) mean we need more land for burials and that's a trend in big cities, and a problem in big cities, where land resources are scarce to begin with and there's always a lot of cemeteries. “There are not enough to meet the needs in quiet and peaceful times,” said Katarina Evansth, senior advisor at the Göteborg Burial Association.
Together with the local municipality, which has a monopoly on land use decisions in Gothenburg, the burial association has identified a large area suitable for building a large-scale cemetery for the intended purpose.
Get breaking national news.
For breaking news that affects Canada and the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you as they happen.
But a lengthy approval and construction process means it could take nearly 10 years to complete, which could lead to more challenges in an uncertain time.
Meanwhile, the Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency (MSB) emphasizes the importance of crisis preparedness and highlights the efforts of the Church of Sweden.
“Already in 2015 the government assigned various authorities to once again engage in civil defense planning, and many organizations have begun planning, with the Church of Sweden leading the way. is ahead,” said Jan Olof Olsen, Critical Infrastructure Protection. (CIP) specialist in MSB.
“Unfortunately it's the case that we're reminded more and more that war can happen and we just need to be prepared for it,” Olson said.
Sweden followed a policy of neutrality from the early 19th century, including during World War II.
But public opinion shifted sharply in 2022 when Russia launched a large-scale invasion of Ukraine, prompting Sweden and Finland to transpire over concerns about the threat posed by their newly aggressive Russian neighbor across the Baltic Sea. Requested to join the Atlantic Alliance.
Sweden and Finland sent updated civilian preparedness guides in November with instructions on how to survive a war. The guides are similar to those in Denmark and Norway, although they do not mention Russia by name.
and copy 2024 Canadian Press