Across Europe, Central Asia and North America, inland transport systems — roads, railways, inland waterways, ports and airports — are expected to face significantly more adverse climate conditions by 2051-80. Key risks include flooding, high temperatures, reduced snow, ice and permafrost, and sea level rise. To help countries anticipate these, the report “Assessment of Climate Change Impacts and Adaptation for Inland Transport: Towards climate resilient transport systems” released today by UNECE, maps key inland transport networks and nodes in the region requiring specific attention and calls for strengthened adaptation efforts at all levels.
It is projected that transport infrastructure will need to cope with 10 to 50 more days per year with temperatures above 25°C, with some areas experiencing up to 200 days per year above this threshold, which will heighten risks of pavement deterioration, thermal expansion of bridge joints, rail deformation and wildfires around infrastructure.
Global estimates suggest that floods represent some 73% of global expected annual damage and that about 7.5% of all assets are exposed to the 1 in 100 years flood event. / (....)