This damage bill was exacerbated by a lack of climate-resilient infrastructure. Taking urgent action to combat climate change and building infrastructure that can withstand its impacts are critical, therefore, to achieving sustainable development in the region.
Using advanced technology when building or upgrading infrastructure can help reduce climate-related risks, and climate-resilient technology is already being incorporated into infrastructure in various sectors.
If climate proofing is adopted early enough, we could avoid a huge number of air pollution-related deaths, or losses in agriculture and labor productivity.
The transport sector, for example, is gravitating towards climate-proofing techniques such as applying concrete mixes that are more durable, and elevating roads to cope with temperature rise and flooding. In the energy sector, solar power is now widely used in many projects, and the International Energy Agency forecasts solar power to account for 16 per cent of global electricity generation by 2050.
In the water sector, devices and tools to purify saltwater can be life-savers in areas with serious drought problems and insufficient water supplies. ADB’s Jaffna Kilinochchi Water Supply and Sanitation Project in Sri Lanka is a good example.
Climate-resilient infrastructure needs both hard, soft technology
Both hard technology and soft technology complement each other to enhance the resilience of infrastructure to the climate variability of a warming planet.
The resilience of physical equipment and infrastructure becomes more effective when it is coupled with appropriate soft technology, which encompasses knowledge and skills such as management practices, training and capacity building, and institutional arrangements and support.
For example, innovative project management skills like performance-based maintenance—which offers incentives for contractors to save on maintenance costs—can slash the life cycle costs of roads.
The economic and social benefits of building high-tech, climate-resilient infrastructure go beyond preparing for climate change. If climate proofing is adopted early enough, we could avoid a huge number of air pollution-related deaths, or losses in agriculture and labor productivity.
Source: Eco-Business | 31 May 2017
