Virtual International Workshop "Climate Change Impacts and Road Resilience"
02 and 04 June 2021, online
The Workshop took place on Wednesday, 02 June 2021 and Friday, 04 June 2021 as a virtual event. It was opened with a welcome from PIARC General Secretary Patrick Mallejacq, Birgitta Worringen of the Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure of Germany and the PIARC Chair of TC 1.4 Caroline Evans (Australia). On Day’s 1 and 2, 187 and 148 experts from around the world attended the meeting and participated in the discussions.
The Workshop was organized and supported by members of the German Federal Highway Research Institute (BASt), the Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure Network of Experts (BMVI-NoE) and PIARC Technical Committee 1.4 "Climate Change and Resilience of Road Networks".
Preparatory documents for the Workshop
Summary and Conclusions of the Workshop
The aim of the Workshop was to provide an overview of the challenges to managing climatic impacts and road resilience by presenting approaches and case studies from different countries.
This Workshop was directly aligned with the Terms of Reference of TC 1.4, which involves two issues. The first is the identification of Uniform and Holistic Methodological Approaches to Climate Change and Other Hazards Resilience, and the second issue involves providing an update of the PIARC International Climate Change Adaptation Framework for Road Infrastructure (2015).
The Workshop provided an opportunity to share international knowledge and comprised of six sessions:
- Session I: Climate impact assessment
- Session II: Resilience management
- Session III: Adaptation to climate change
- Session IV: Hazards assessments
- Session V: Criticality assessments
- Session VI: Climate change and regulations
Session I covered two presentations on the topic of Climate impact assessment. Anne-Farina Lohrengel (BMVI-NoE, BASt, Germany) presented a methodological framework for the Climate Impact Assessment for the Federal Trunk Road Network of Germany and Kees van Muiswinkel (Rijkswaterstaat, Netherlands) presented on Climate Stress Testing the Dutch Highways, which included assessing vulnerability to flooding, increased temperature and droughts.
The focus of Session II was on Resilience management, and included two presentations. Martin Klose (BMVI-NoE, BASt, Germany) introduced a resilience management concept for the Federal Trunk Road Network of Germany, and Martine Holm Frekhaug (NPRA, Norway) presented a resilience system for managing natural hazards on Norwegian roads.
Session III addressed the topic of Adaption to climate change, by presenting two adaptation approaches for road infrastructure in the Philippines and in Africa. Thomas Bles (Deltares, Netherlands) provided insights into disaster risk management to sustain local road infrastructure in the Philippines. Nkululeko Leta (ReCAP, South Africa) presented a project concerning sustainable climate adaptation and resilience for rural road infrastructure in Africa.
The first day of the Workshop ended with a conclusion by PIARC Technical Director Miguel Caso Florez.
On Friday, 04 June, PIARC Strategic Theme 1 Coordinator Ernesto Barrera and TC 1.4 Chair Caroline Evans opened Day 2 of the Workshop and provided a presentation of the Terms of Reference for PIARC TC 1.4, and highlighted key coordination activities which are taking place on the topic of resilience, not only involving other PIARC Technical Committees, but also collaborative opportunities with other organizations and associations.
Session IV, comprised of two presentations on the topic of Hazards assessments. These were provided by Lennart Meine (BMVI-NoE, BASt, Germany), who introduced a Blue spot analysis approach for the Federal Trunk Road Network of North Rhine Westphalia, Germany regarding heavy rainfall events. Additionally, Tala Suliman Jamel Abu Shuqair’s (MoEI, United Arab Emirates) presentation explored the Climate Change Impact on Traffic Safety and Transportation System Performance in the United Arab Emirates based on available crash and weather condition data.
Session V covered the topic of Criticality assessment and included three presentations on studies from Germany, Mexico and the United States of America. Norman Voß (BMVI-NoE, BASt, Germany) introduced the indicator-based criticality analysis for the German Trunk Road Network. Jeffrey Meek (MnDOT, United States of America) gave a presentation on the Transportation Resilience Report of Minnesota’s Department of Transportation, and discussed the ongoing work to factor climate vulnerability into decision- making. Juan Fernando Mendoza Sánchez (IMT, Mexico) also explained a methodology for prioritizing highway assets based on various criteria allowing for the assessment of criticality.
The final session VI of Day 2 focused on Climate change and regulations. Marvin Stell (BMVI-NoE, BASt, Germany) shared an approach to identifying adaptation needs for standards and regulations in the road sector with regards to climate change. Following this, Yinghao Miao (USTB, China) provided insights into the challenges due to rising temperatures, by presenting research on the influence of global warming on asphalt pavements in China.
The Workshop concluded with closing remarks by Miguel Caso Florez and TC 1.4 Case Study Taskforce Leader Beata Krieger (BASt, Germany).
This Workshop was a highly successful event, involving participation of over 330 experts globally. A key highlight of the Workshop was the significant involvement of young professionals, who provided presentations and moderated the Sessions throughout the Workshop. It was a great honour to organize this prestigious event between the BASt, BMVI-NoE, and PIARC TC 1.4, and to share and discuss international experiences on the topic of climate change, other hazards, and resilience of road networks both now and in the future.
| International Workshop Program - 02 and 04 June 2021 Climate Change Impacts and Road Resilience |
|---|
Day 1 - 02 June 2021
Session I - Climate impact assessment |
- Climate impact assessment for the federal trunk road network of Germany - Anne-Farina Lohrengel (BMVI-NoE, BASt, Germany)
- Climate stress testing the Dutch highways - Kees van Muiswinkel (Rijkswaterstaat, Netherlands)
Session II - Resilience Management |
- A resilience management concept for the federal trunk road network of Germany - Martin Klose (BMVI-NoE, BASt, Germany)
- A resilience system for managing natural hazards on Norwegian roads - Martine Holm Frekhaug (NPRA, Norway)
Session III - Adaption to climate change |
- Mainstreaming Disaster Risk Management to sustain local road infrastructure in the Philippines - Thomas Bles (Deltares, Netherlands)
- Guidelines for a holistic approach to sustainable climate adaptation and resilience for rural road infrastructure in Africa - Nkululeko Leta (ReCAP, South Africa)
Day 2 - 04 June 2021
Session IV - Hazard assessments |
- Blue spot analysis approach for the federal trunk road network of North Rhine Westfalia, Germany - Lennart Meine (BMVI-NoE, BASt, Germany)
- Climate Change Impact on Traffic Safety and Transportation System Performance in the UAE - Tala Suliman Jamel Abu Shuqair (MoEI, United Arab Emirates)
Session V - Criticality assessment |
- Analyse de criticité basée sur des indicateurs : développement d'indicateurs de criticité et d'une approche d'évaluation pour évaluer la criticité des sections de route - Norman Voß (BMVI-NoE, BASt, Allemagne)
- Évaluation de la résilience et de la criticité dans un climat changeant - Jeffrey Meek (MnDOT, États-Unis d'Amérique)
- Évaluation de la criticité dans les projets routiers au Mexique - Juan Fernando Mendoza Sánchez (IMT, Mexique)
Session VI - Climate change and regulations |
- Normes et réglementations dans le contexte du changement climatique : identification des besoins d'adaptation par rapport aux événements inattendus du changement climatique - Marvin Stell (BMVI-NoE, BASt, Allemagne)
- Recherche sur l'influence du réchauffement climatique sur les revêtements en asphalte en Chine - Yinghao Miao (USTB, Chine)