UN: Global transport infrastructure threatened by climate change

The United Nations has urged increased adaptation efforts for transport infrastructure in Europe, Central Asia, and North America to cope with the growing risks of climate change. The UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), in a report released on Tuesday, stated that transport systems are a critical element for the smooth functioning of society and economic activity, meaning disruptions to the sector could have major impacts on communities and cause extremely high financial losses. “Transport systems are essential for keeping society and the economy running smoothly. Disruptions to this sector can have serious impacts on communities while causing significant financial losses,” said UNECE Executive Secretary Tatiana Molcean. The report projects that roads, railways, inland waterways, ports, and airports across Europe, Central Asia, and North America will face increasingly frequent floods, extreme heatwaves, rising sea levels, and the thawing of permafrost in the coming decades. UNECE estimates that transport infrastructure will experience an additional 10 to 50 days each year with temperatures above 25 degrees Celsius. Some regions could even experience up to 200 days above this threshold annually. This condition increases the risk of road surface damage, railway track deformation, bridge expansion, and wildfires. The report notes that flooding remains the largest cause of climate-related damage to transport infrastructure. Meanwhile, infrastructure in coastal areas is expected to face increasing risks from rising sea levels and stronger storms. UNECE also projects that by 2050, around 70 percent of transport infrastructure in the Arctic region will be located in areas threatened by thawing permafrost. By 2100, an estimated 5 million people in Europe, along with the transport networks they use, are expected to face coastal flooding almost every year. UNECE is urging governments and infrastructure operators to incorporate climate risks into transport planning, strengthen infrastructure resilience measures, and improve climate risk assessments. The agency warned that delays in taking adaptation measures will increase future economic losses. The report also highlighted practices already implemented in several countries, such as Portugal, France, Germany, and Denmark, which have developed various adaptation measures, including the use of more climate-resilient road surfaces, railway monitoring systems, and long-term adaptation planning to reduce climate-related disruptions.