IMF High temperatures create additional stress on transport infrastructure. Transport infrastructure in several regions of the world may be at risk due to climate change Climate and Environment
Heat, floods, rising sea levels and thawing permafrost will increasingly disrupt the transport infrastructure of Europe, Central Asia and North America in the coming decades. This warning is contained in a new report from the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), the authors of which call for making adaptation of transport infrastructure a priority for climate policy.
Experts predict that by mid-century, the transport systems of these regions will have to operate in more extreme climate conditions. Thus, in some areas the number of days with temperatures above 25 degrees Celsius may increase to 200 per year. Such conditions will create additional loads on the transport infrastructure: the road surface will deteriorate faster, the risk of deformation of bridges and railway tracks, as well as natural fires near transport facilities will increase.
“Transport systems are vital to the smooth functioning of societies and economies. Failures in their operation can have serious consequences for the population and lead to huge financial losses. Extreme weather events are no longer a risk of the future, but a reality of today. Therefore, adaptation of transport infrastructure has become an urgent need,” said UNECE Executive Secretary Tatiana Molchan.
Increasingly destructive floods
Heavy rainfall will be increasingly observed in regions that regularly face extreme weather conditions today. Among them are the west coast of Norway, the Alps, the Balkans, northern Turkey, parts of Central Asia, the Pacific coast of Canada and the east coast of the USA.
For transport infrastructure, this means the risk of landslides, destruction of road embankments, overloading of drainage systems and erosion of roads and railways. The transport infrastructure in the basins of the largest European rivers – the Danube, Rhine, Elbe, Po, Dnieper, Don and Volga – will become especially vulnerable. permafrost. As the ground thaws, the stability of the foundations of roads and railways decreases, making the maintenance of infrastructure increasingly difficult and expensive. Experts estimate that by 2050, about 70 percent of Arctic infrastructure will be in areas where there is a risk of subsidence. At the same time, timely adaptation can reduce the associated costs by almost half.
Risks for ports and coastal infrastructure
Rising sea levels and sea storms pose new threats to ports and all coastal transport infrastructure. The roads, railways, tunnels and logistics hubs on which international trade depends are under attack.
Predictions show that by the end of the century, 71 to 89 percent of the world’s seaports could be at risk from extreme storms. Already today, annual damage to port infrastructure is estimated at approximately $7.5 billion, and the economic impact on global trade and supply chains reaches tens of billions of dollars. climate.
For example, in Portugal, when designing a new network of high-speed bus routes, solutions were provided to protect against floods, landslides and wildfires. The project includes the use of road surfaces that can withstand high temperatures, as well as drainage systems designed to withstand extreme floods.
In Denmark, a digital early warning system was implemented on the railway network. Sensors installed on an unstable embankment allow real-time monitoring of ground conditions and timely identification of signs of instability, which makes it possible to carry out preventive repairs and prevent long-term disruptions in train traffic. The UN emphasizes that inaction will cost much more than timely adaptation. According to the World Resources Institute, every dollar invested in climate change adaptation generates more than $10.50 in economic, social and environmental benefits.
The report calls on governments and the private sector to consider climate risks today when designing and operating transportation infrastructure, improving monitoring and early warning systems, and increasing the implementation of solutions that make transportation networks more resilient to climate change.