framework for climate change adaptation that allows decision makers to lay down
priorities, and cope with risks, despite the attendant climate change uncertainties.
Infrastructure, as a capital asset, is built for a lifetime, sometimes centuries, which
probably, automatically influences negatively the need for change and adaptation.
Although, upgrades, rehabilitation or reconstruction works are scheduled or
expected every 50–100 years or even after a longer time, usually any required
maintenance is forgotten until it is nearly too late, one reason being that the
established calendar spans over 2 or 3 generations of engineers. These century
lifespans become important obstacles to climate change adaptation for these structures because it is economically expensive to replace them before they become
obsolete, and on the other hand, when they really need to be replaced, it may be
logistically impossible – no place for enlargement, necessity to cater for existing
customers during reconstruction, etc. – to replace the structures. Furthermore, as
with such long life spans, climate changes and impacts may occur much earlier
during their service life – entailing relocation, retrofit or expensive reconstruction – it
might be worth considering climate change adaptation as one essential component of
infrastructure design. One alternative would be to develop cheaper structures which
must be replaced every 10–20 years or so.
10.4.3 Increasing Resilience
A strategy to increase resilience has several goals. More particularly, given that
events to be considered have different return periods. Resilience against extreme
weather events (such as cyclones, floods, or droughts) are usually considered as
short-term, while long-term resilience denotes the ability to manage longer term
variations in environmental conditions (like gradual climate change or soil
deterioration – see Chaps. 2, 4 and 11). However short-term and long-term resilience
are closely linked. Given the varying environmental conditions which may decrease
the short-term resilience or extreme events becoming more frequent, retrofitting may
be required. As will be shown in Chap. 11, it should be worthwhile investigating
long return periods for extreme events.
The options available, to increase short or long term resilience (or both), are
sometimes synergetic or conflicting (a trade-off is required between short term and
long term resilience).
Long term resilience is related to immediate reliability, i.e. the capacity of the
infrastructure to provide continuous reliable (see Chap. 9) services under normal
conditions in the current climate. As many existing infrastructure are not adequate in
the current climate, they are therefore unreliable. Examples of such cases include
electricity networks which need to be cut off during cyclones, droughts or at other
odd hours. The number of hours per year (or per day) these facilities are unavailable
give an indication of infrastructure reliability in the particular sector.
Within an integrated framework, the objectives to increase infrastructure resilience imply:
10.4 Approaches and Mechanisms to Support Climate Resiliency
297
priorities, and cope with risks, despite the attendant climate change uncertainties.
Infrastructure, as a capital asset, is built for a lifetime, sometimes centuries, which
probably, automatically influences negatively the need for change and adaptation.
Although, upgrades, rehabilitation or reconstruction works are scheduled or
expected every 50–100 years or even after a longer time, usually any required
maintenance is forgotten until it is nearly too late, one reason being that the
established calendar spans over 2 or 3 generations of engineers. These century
lifespans become important obstacles to climate change adaptation for these structures because it is economically expensive to replace them before they become
obsolete, and on the other hand, when they really need to be replaced, it may be
logistically impossible – no place for enlargement, necessity to cater for existing
customers during reconstruction, etc. – to replace the structures. Furthermore, as
with such long life spans, climate changes and impacts may occur much earlier
during their service life – entailing relocation, retrofit or expensive reconstruction – it
might be worth considering climate change adaptation as one essential component of
infrastructure design. One alternative would be to develop cheaper structures which
must be replaced every 10–20 years or so.
10.4.3 Increasing Resilience
A strategy to increase resilience has several goals. More particularly, given that
events to be considered have different return periods. Resilience against extreme
weather events (such as cyclones, floods, or droughts) are usually considered as
short-term, while long-term resilience denotes the ability to manage longer term
variations in environmental conditions (like gradual climate change or soil
deterioration – see Chaps. 2, 4 and 11). However short-term and long-term resilience
are closely linked. Given the varying environmental conditions which may decrease
the short-term resilience or extreme events becoming more frequent, retrofitting may
be required. As will be shown in Chap. 11, it should be worthwhile investigating
long return periods for extreme events.
The options available, to increase short or long term resilience (or both), are
sometimes synergetic or conflicting (a trade-off is required between short term and
long term resilience).
Long term resilience is related to immediate reliability, i.e. the capacity of the
infrastructure to provide continuous reliable (see Chap. 9) services under normal
conditions in the current climate. As many existing infrastructure are not adequate in
the current climate, they are therefore unreliable. Examples of such cases include
electricity networks which need to be cut off during cyclones, droughts or at other
odd hours. The number of hours per year (or per day) these facilities are unavailable
give an indication of infrastructure reliability in the particular sector.
Within an integrated framework, the objectives to increase infrastructure resilience imply:
10.4 Approaches and Mechanisms to Support Climate Resiliency
297