ADAPTATION OF INFRASTRUCTURE SYSTEMS

The document analyzes the vulnerability of global economic infrastructure to climate hazards such as flooding, extreme temperatures, and permafrost melt. It argues for a comprehensive approach to adaptation that integrates climate risk analysis 'upstream' into the planning, design, and financing stages of the infrastructure lifecycle. Key findings highlight significant risks to road networks, thermoelectric and hydropower plants, and water supplies, while proposing solutions ranging from nature-based 'Sponge Cities' to performance-based engineering standards and programmatic financing.

• Global road networks face significant climate exposure, with over 200,000 km currently exposed to climate-related hazards, a figure projected to rise to 237,000 km by 2050.
• Thermoelectric power plants are highly vulnerable to water scarcity; it is projected that 81% to 86% of such plants worldwide will face usable capacity constraints due to reduced cooling water availability between 2040 and 2069.
• Hydropower capacity is also at risk, with projected reductions in usable capacity for 61% to 74% of hydropower plants globally.
• Permafrost melt in the Arctic threatens critical infrastructure, with 70% of current infrastructure in the permafrost region located in high-susceptibility areas by 2050, including 13,000 km of roads and 100 airports.
• The cost of providing water supplies in developing countries is expected to more than double by the 2050s due to climate impacts.
• Adaptation in the road sector, including upgrading drainage and flood protection, is estimated to cost up to 10% of total project investment costs.
• Nature-based solutions, such as China's 'Sponge City' concept, aim to manage stormwater by collecting, storing, and purifying 70% of rainwater across 80% of urban areas by 2030.
• Infrastructure investments can create 'lock-in' effects, where long-lived assets shape future development patterns and exposure to hazards, making early-stage climate risk integration critical.
• A shift from project-based finance to programmatic finance is recommended to allow adaptation planning to move 'upstream' and 'upscale' in the decision-making process.

APA

Hall, J. W., Aerts, J. C., Ayyub, B. M., Hallegatte, S., Harvey, M., Hu, X., Koks, E., Lee, C., Liao, X., Mullan, M., Pant, R., Paszkowski, A., Rozenberg, J., Sheng, F., Stenek, V., Thacker, S., Väänen, E., Vallejo, L., Veldkamp, T. I., ... Zorn, C. (2019). ADAPTATION OF INFRASTRUCTURE SYSTEMS. World Resources Institute. https://files.wri.org/s3fs-public/uploads/Adaptation_of_Infrastructure_Systems_-_Global_Commission_on_Adaptation.pdf

Chicago

Hall, Jim W., Jeroen C.J.H. Aerts, Bilal M. Ayyub, Stéphane Hallegatte, Mark Harvey, Xi Hu, Elco Koks, et al. ADAPTATION OF INFRASTRUCTURE SYSTEMS. World Resources Institute, 2019. https://files.wri.org/s3fs-public/uploads/Adaptation_of_Infrastructure_Systems_-_Global_Commission_on_Adaptation.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Hall |first1=Jim W. |last2=Aerts |first2=Jeroen C.J.H. |last3=Ayyub |first3=Bilal M. |last4=Hallegatte |first4=Stéphane |last5=Harvey |first5=Mark |last6=Hu |first6=Xi |last7=Koks |first7=Elco |last8=Lee |first8=Caroline |last9=Liao |first9=Xiawei |display-authors=etal |title=ADAPTATION OF INFRASTRUCTURE SYSTEMS |publisher=World Resources Institute |date=2 September 2019 |url=https://files.wri.org/s3fs-public/uploads/Adaptation_of_Infrastructure_Systems_-_Global_Commission_on_Adaptation.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{hall2019adaptation, author = {Hall, Jim W. and Aerts, Jeroen C.J.H. and Ayyub, Bilal M. and Hallegatte, Stéphane and Harvey, Mark and Hu, Xi and Koks, Elco and Lee, Caroline and Liao, Xiawei and Mullan, Michael and Pant, Raghav and Paszkowski, Amelie and Rozenberg, Julie and Sheng, Fulai and Stenek, Vladimir and Thacker, Scott and Väänen, Elina and Vallejo, Lola and Veldkamp, Ted I.E. and van Vliet, Michelle and Wada, Yoshihide and Ward, Philip and Watkins, Graham and Zorn, Conrad}, title = {{ADAPTATION OF INFRASTRUCTURE SYSTEMS}}, institution = {World Resources Institute}, year = {2019}, month = sep, url = {https://files.wri.org/s3fs-public/uploads/Adaptation_of_Infrastructure_Systems_-_Global_Commission_on_Adaptation.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }