Geographical Sovereignty in Times of Crisis: The Eyjafjallajökull Eruption and the International Community from a Project Management Perspective

The volcanic eruption in Eyjafjallajökull-glacier, Iceland, in 2010, raised several questions regarding data processing, information dissemination and information interpretation both locally and internationally. The fact that a volcanic eruption in an island in midst of the Atlantic ocean could seriously inflict European and international air traffic was an eye opener for politicians, government, the airline industry and the public. Serious questions concerning aviation security, airspace authority, legitimacy of supranational institutions and dire financial consequences for airliners surfaced. The research question the paper aims at answering is: How does geographical sovereignty have an impact on the project management of projects of natural crisis that have impact across national borders?The paper examines documents on geographical sovereignty and shows how insights from project management might contribute to a still better management of such future situations and offers suggestions of how project managers can prepare for managing crisis that crosses geographical boundaries.