Are transport networks in low-income countries prepared for climate change?
Barriers to preparing for climate change in Africa and South Asia.
Abstract
This paper explores the barriers that low-income countries (LICs) face across Africa and South Asia regarding preparedness of transport infrastructure to climate change, with the intent of addressing the knowledge gaps and consequential needs of LICs to support the delivery of more climate-resilient transport. The literature and stakeholder interviews from this study show that while there is an emerging level of understanding of the issues responding to climate change may bring, the necessary human, technical and financial resources have not reached the appropriate actors to effectively plan and implement more climate-resilient transport. These resources are not in reach due to a range of barriers in accessing them, for example: critical data to identify hazards and vulnerabilities is insufficient or unavailable to better understand the climate situation; stakeholders do not know what resources are available, or how to access them; other sectors take precedence over transport for available resources; and existing design standards and adaptation guidance are insufficient to meet specific LIC needs.
This paper is part of the High Volume Transport Applied Research Programme.
Citation
Greenham, S., Workman, R., McPherson, K. et al. ‘Are transport networks in low-income countries prepared for climate change? Barriers to preparing for climate change in Africa and South Asia’. Mitigation Adaptation Strategies for Global Change 2023: volume 28, article number 44. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11027-023-10078-1