Denmark’s emergency shelters can now house only 3.6 million amid rising security concerns

In the event of an aerial attack, Danish emergency shelters can accommodate approximately 3.6 million people, according to a recent assessment by the Danish Emergency Management Agency. One shelter is located beneath the library in Rønne, Bornholm, which currently lacks sufficient space for 350 residents who would seek refuge there, as it is filled with shelving and materials belonging to the island’s archives.

Like the other 97 municipalities in Denmark, Bornholm’s local government reported the number and condition of its shelters during the assessment process. Klaus Rønne Jensen, the municipality’s deputy emergency services chief, noted that some shelters have been decommissioned as buildings have been torn down.

So far, five of Bornholm’s 177 approved shelters have been inspected. Jensen expressed concern about the outdated regulations guiding shelter design, which date back to the 1980s, leaving unclear how modern shelters should be built for contemporary threats. Additionally, there is uncertainty around how quickly shelters can be cleared for public use in emergencies.

The need for updated assessments arises from heightened security concerns following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Previous evaluations reported 4.7 million available shelter spaces, making the current total of 3.6 million a significant decline. This number may not be entirely accurate, as not all shelters have been physically checked by municipalities.

Lene Sandberg, a crisis management researcher, emphasized the importance of having a clear operational plan for these shelters, which were constructed in a different geopolitical context post-World War II. The changing nature of threats, including hybrid warfare, necessitates a reevaluation of the shelters’ purposes and readiness in today’s context. The defense minister has the authority to request municipalities to prepare these public shelters and set readiness protocols.