Climate Resilient Infrastructure

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Introduction- Flood has been devastating in recent times due to climate change. Weather is experienced for short period of time for an hour or a day while climate is the average weather and its variability over a long period of time.  Due to change in the climate frequency of catastrophic events like- Cyclone, floods, thunder storm will be on rise.  It is observed from the recent devastations post flood that economic cost is also huge. However, the question arises whether economic loss can be prevented or not?

The technological advancement is at peak, and due to scientific discovery there are models and steps to build a climate resilient infrastructure.

The economy must be sustainable and adaptable to the challenges. The Infrastructure that allows economy to grow and sustain is the need of the hour. Infrastructure consists of high value assets for long terms like bridges, rocks and power stations etc.

What is climate resilient Infrastructure?

Climate Resilient Infrastructure is designed to mitigate the vulnerable impacts of the climate change. It can safeguard and strengthen developing countries’ economic growth.

Role of the government

The government has its role to play and adapt important elements for national policies. It will help setting up standards and a well prepared National Infrastructure Plan. The government can push experts of various fields and bring different people like owners, investors, professions together. The government can help in maximizing the opportunities to grow greener, more modern and sustainable world.

The possible measures can be-

1.       Ensuring Infrastructure is resilient to potential increase in extreme weather events such as storms, floods, and heat waves as well as extreme cold weather.

2.      Ensuring investment is made

3.      Building the flexibility so that according to the demand infrastructure can be modified.

4.      Ensuring that infrastructure organizations and professionals have the right skills and capacity to implement adaptation measures.

For the purpose the government has to identify core sectors first like – communication, health, emergency services, energy, water, food, and transport etc. The infrastructure and adaptation projects can be first focused on these sectors.

What is the world doing about it?

There are countries who are working efficiently like Australia identified adaptable and secure water supplies to cope with climate change as one of its seven key objectives. The country has also established a climate change adaptation project which included developing a standard climate change adaptation system for organizations.

Denmark is working on road regulations and railway standard. These are being revised with consideration of expected climate change. The Danish Environmental Protection Agency published guidelines in 2007 in order for Municipalities to take climate change into account.

Japan issued a series of practical guidance on strategic climate change adaptation planning.

New Zealand Infrastructure Plan identified in 2010 the impacts of Climate change as one of the long term key trends to be addressed.

USA, also established infrastructure working group to analyses the impact from climate change on its infrastructure and strategies to adapt it.

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What are challenges and Barriers?

The path of building a climate resilient infrastructure is not easy, there are certain challenges identified by various agencies. For example-

1.       Information Gaps: Information must be provided as a public good to help public and private sector organizations to understand that what climate change could mean.

2.      Managing Uncertainties: There are evidences available but time, nature and scale can not be predicted related to climate change.

3.      Balancing Priorities: Climate resilience should be balanced against the priorities. The area has been identified, and according to the risk the priorities should be decided.

4.      Shorter term Regulator Focus: The strong emphasize remains on short term value, which can be adding to the climate unpredictability.  

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