Roadmaps for Adaptation Measures of Transportation to Climate Change

No strangers to the phenomenon of climate change, transport-related authorities responsible for managing its impacts have lately turned their attention to exploring ways to address the increasing frequency and intensity of extreme weather events and natural hazards, often referred to as “the face of climate change.” In the quest to identify optimal alternatives that will reduce the effects of climate change on human ecosystems, these authorities find themselves presented with a series of options. Nonetheless, transportation authorities have no assurances that their choices will best deal with the challenges and therefore substantially contribute to the minimization of negative climate change impacts. Following a detailed literature review of both research efforts and actual case-study experience, adaptation measures for road, rail, air, and water transportation are consolidated and related to the extreme weather events, natural hazards, or both that they mostly address. The review is concluded in the form of a measure and policy database, which is then evaluated through a series of performance indicators. These indicators include the extent to which each measure contributes to the enhancement of transport system resilience as well as the temporal and financial resources required for its implementation. The evaluation is conducted by using an expert group survey covering multiple sectors and disciplines (academia, research, industry, and government). Findings are formulated in the form of roadmaps for climate change adaptation measures for the transport sector; these roadmaps can serve as a useful tool and basis for an improved decision-making approach for different end users to address climate change.

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