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UN Agency Says Transport Infrastructure Must Adapt to Climate Risks
The United Nations regional economic commission warned Tuesday that roads, railways, ports and airports across Europe, North America and central Asia face rising damage from flooding, heat and permafrost thaw. Officials said early upgrades could cut long-term costs by half.
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Transport infrastructure across Europe, North America and central Asia must adapt to more adverse climate conditions, the United Nations said on Tuesday. Roads, railways, waterways, ports and airports will face a greater likelihood of flooding, high temperatures, reduced snow, ice and permafrost, and sea level rise from 2050 to 2080, the UN regional agency said.
The agency covers 56 countries across Europe, North America, the Caucasus and central Asia.
The report said changing conditions would result in increased damage and disruption to transport systems if they were not made more resilient. It gave examples such as increased road and rail infrastructure damage during heatwaves, more frequent flooding of transport facilities, and greater challenges at ports and airports during strong wind events.
The agency said transport systems in the region would need to cope with 10 to 50 more days per year of temperatures exceeding 25C, with some areas facing 200 days a year above the threshold. By 2050, 70 percent of infrastructure in the Arctic would be in regions at risk from permafrost thaw and subsidence, the report said.
"Early adaptation could reduce related costs by half," the report said. The agency urged leaders to ensure transport systems could continue delivering the services on which economies and societies depend. "While adaptation measures can appear as costly, the consequences of inaction may be even more costly," the report warned.
