Lotten Wiréhn

Associate Professor, Docent

I study the intricate linkages between various dimensions of human-natural systems under climate change. In doing so, I explore how (co)creation of climate services and visualization can support the use of actionable climate information.

Methods and information for climate actions

Understanding the interrelationships between climate, nature, and society in the context of climate vulnerabilities and risks, and how to plan and implement transformative climate actions, represents one of the greatest challenges of our time. In my research, I analyse and develop methods to assess climate risks and vulnerabilities as well as the representation and design of climate information and services.

I study how to develop and ensure the contextual relevance and usability of climate information and services for a diverse range of societal stakeholders and decision-makers. The research spans from Nordic agricultural production, sustainable food systems, and urban heat stress to Swedish aid initiatives in East Africa. I am particularly interested in method development, including new methods and approaches to visually represent data and information, aiming to support climate adaptation in societies urgently requiring transformations towards sustainability.

Publications

2026

Lotten Wiréhn, Gustav Strandberg (2026)

Från klimatscenarier till klimatanpassning: Att göra klimatinformation användbar för lantbruket (Report)

https://dx.doi.org/10.3384/brief-220870

Nico Reski, Carlo Navarra, Lotten Wiréhn, Tina-Simone Neset, Aris Alissandrakis, Aitor Aldama Campino, Fuxing Wang, Isabel Ribeiro, Jorge H. Amorim, Andreas Kerren, Katerina Vrotsou (2026)

Urban Climate InteracTable: towards an immersive contextual data analysis platform to visualize and explore urban heat Virtual Reality, Vol. 30, Article 7 (Article in journal)

https://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10055-025-01264-4

2025

Veronica Brodén Gyberg, Woldeamlak Bewket, Maria Jernnäs, Lotten Wiréhn, Jane Mutheu Mutune, Caroline Muthoni (2025)

Governing complexity through integrated approaches. The case of Swedish climate aid 7th Nordic STS conference, Stockholm, June 11-13, 2025: STS in and out of the Laboratory (Conference paper)

Fuxing Wang, Aitor Aldama-Campino, Danijel Belušić, Jorge H. Amorim, Isabel Ribeiro, Lotten Wiréhn, David Segersson, Ralf Döscher, Carlo Navarra, Tina-Simone Neset, Petter Lind (2025)

Interactions of urban heat islands and heat waves in Swedish cities under present and future climates Urban Climate, Vol. 59 (Article in journal)

https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.uclim.2025.102286

Lotten Wiréhn, Gustav Strandberg (2025)

Navigating towards strengthened climate service processes Ambio, Vol. 54, p. 965-979 (Article in journal)

https://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s13280-025-02136-6

Research

Ongoing and previous research projects and activities

Exploring the transformative potential of climate services

The project explores how next-generation climate services can support societal transformation through data, visualisation and communication – with a focus on energy, agriculture and urban planning.

AI generated image of the earth and networks

Aiding adaptation

In this project, Swedish aid is examined as a tool to integrate cross-cutting challenges such as environmental, climate, gender, and conflict perspectives into climate adaptation efforts.

vallastaden, A dense, green and varied city district

BRIGHT: Increased knowledge and new tools for adapting Swedish cities to heat

Project BRIGHT aims to contribute with new knowledge, optimized methods, enhanced tools and user tailored data that enable Swedish municipalities to better adapt to climate change, with a focus on heat waves.

The Norrköping Decision Arena

Norrköping Decision Arena - a room where visualization supports dialogue

The Arena is an interactive facility consisting of visualization platform. It serves as a support in meetings where complex issues are to be discussed. It is used in research and teaching; and can be hired by actors in the private and public sectors.

Lecture from European Researcher's Night

Agricultural vulnerability to climate change

Climate change is not in the future – it is happening already. Lotten Wiréhn‘s 15-minute presentation provides an insight into how food production is impacted by a warmer climate and more frequently occurring extreme weather. Her research area is how climate information can be made more useful in underpinning decisions on adaptations in agriculture. (The video is in Swedish, but it has English subtitles.)

News

49 million Swedish crowns for research into sustainable development

Ten researchers at LiU have been awarded grants by the Formas research council. The projects include research into urban cultivation, the possibility of capturing carbon dioxide after emission, and the welfare of laying hens.

Organisation

Environmental Change (TEMAM)

Almost all nature bears traces of human activity. Its condition is strongly linked to social development. This creates a need for scientific breadth and problem-solving skills. Education and research at Environmental Change respond to this challenge.

Drone image of the Tema building at Campus Valla

Department of Thematic Studies (TEMA)

In an increasingly complicated world, there is a need for researchers that can handle both breadth and depth, and can collaborate across disciplinary borders. Major societal questions are studied from an interdisciplinary perspective at TEMA.

Studenthuset on Campus Valla in Linköping