Photo of Erik Glaas

Erik Glaas

Adjunct Associate Professor

Management of complex problems – such as climate change – demands integrating data and perspectives from various actors. Dr. Glaas research focus on finding forms for supporting management through visualization, communication and developed planning.

Supporting sustainable decision-making 

It has been widely recognized that climate change increasingly will demand innovative human responses to seize opportunities and to reduce negative impacts. This includes developed planning and decision-making processes. Dr. Erik Glaas research focuses on developing methods and tools to support such decisions by making data accessible and manageable, and developing novel forms for interaction. 

Climate change represents a “wicked problem” meaning that it is hard to know what exact effects it will generate on human and natural systems. At the same time are stakes high since the effects likely will be vast, generating both winners and losers. Understanding how climate change will play out demands assessing interrelated impacts from weather related changes and changes in social systems over time, incorporating political, physical as well as perceptional aspects. An important departure in my research is to develop methods for assessing these combined effects in various contexts, including management of buildings, planning of new built areas and development of new strategies.

Reflexive decision-making

Managing wicked problems demands reflexive decision-making and planning processes which incorporate aspects of the above changes as well as perspectives of key stakeholders who are effected by, or can influence the outcome of, the decisions taken. In municipal planning this can include, for example, perspectives from several sectors, organizations and citizens. Dr Glaas research focuses on how such decision and planning processes can be facilitated through new interactive forms of governance, communication and interaction, including the development of visualization supported approaches and techniques.

Publications

2024

Sofie Storbjörk, Mattias Hjerpe, Erik Glaas (2024) The necessity of pragmatic muddling. Ten Swedish early adopter cities navigating climate adaptation policy-implementation in the urban built environment Environmental Science and Policy, Vol. 160, Article 103842 (Article in journal) Continue to DOI
Erik Glaas, Mattias Hjerpe, Sofie Storbjörk (2024) The 2021 extreme rainfall in Gävle, Sweden: impacts on municipal welfare services and actions towards more resilient premises and operations Hydrology Research, Vol. 55, p. 431-443 (Article in journal) Continue to DOI

2023

Anna Malmquist, Mattias Hjerpe, Erik Glaas, Tora Lundgren, Per Gyberg, Sofie Storbjörk (2023) Jag drabbas - det här får kommunen lösa: En intervjustudie med svenska villaägare som påverkats av översvämningar från skyfall Sociologisk forskning, Vol. 3-4, p. 275-298 (Article in journal) Continue to DOI

2022

Erik Glaas, Anna Bohman, Martin Karlson, Carlo Navarra, Jonas Olsson, Yeshewatesfa Hundecha, Tomasz Opach, Douglas Cederlund, Jennifer Sjulander, Tina-Simone Neset, Björn-Ola Linnér (2022) Development and user testing of the ICT-platform Visual Water supporting sustainable municipal stormwater planning Urban Water Journal, Vol. 19, p. 962-974 (Article in journal) Continue to DOI
Anna Malmquist, Mattias Hjerpe, Erik Glaas, Hulda Karlsson, Tina Lassi (2022) Elderly Peoples Perceptions of Heat Stress and Adaptation to Heat: An Interview Study International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, Vol. 19, Article 3775 (Article in journal) Continue to DOI

Research

CV

CV

  • 2014 
    Post doctor, The Department of Thematic Studies - Environmental Change, Linköping university 

  • 2013 
    PhD in Environmental Science, Linköping university 

  • 2007 
    Master of Science in Environmental Science, Linköping university

Teaching

  • At bachelor level I mainly teach at the Environmental Science Program where I, amongst others, administrate sub-courses in environmental economics, lecturing in environmental management, hold literature seminars and supervises student thesis writing.

  • At master level I mainly teach at the master program in Sustainable Development. The teaching include lecturing in visualization and climate change adaptation and thesis examination

Research

  • Identifying Thresholds for Maladaptation in Nordic Agriculture – MNA GAMING 
  • Norrköping Decision Arena 
  • The Nordic Centre of Excellence for Strategic
    Adaptation Research (Nord-Star) 

Organisation