Climate change related extreme weather impact management is becoming a great challenge to maintain the resilience requirements of the road networks. Vulnerability assessment, adaptation treatments, and technical standards are important considerations. PIARC (World Road Association) provides a robust platform to acquire emerging knowledge in these areas. This paper presents following key takeaways from technical presentations in PIARC World Road Congress 2023 for possible further discussion with TMR colleagues to manage TMR risks.
- Risk threshold assessment in Spain using a multicriteria based analytical approach shows greatly varying levels of impact for the same amount of rain due to different territorial characteristics. It identifies the need for context specific risk thresholds for better adaptation planning of road networks.
- A web-based road hazard monitoring system developed in Brazil automatically identifies disaster spots. It involves creation of hazard inventory by analysing relevant tweets using a natural language processing technique, mapping of flood and landslide disasters using satellite imagery, and prediction of new events using Deep Learning model.
- Identification of vulnerable road sections using historical records of extreme weather-related incidences in Mexico helps better adaptation work programming. It includes georeferenced color-coded road maps based on number of incidences, cause of incidences (climatic factor), types of damaged road components, and other factors.
- Climatic impact assessment in Germany using advanced techniques suggests better adaptation measures. It includes Blue Spot analysis for flooding probability, GIS mapping of flood hazards for different traffic parameters, and Digital Base Landscape modelling to address storm related tree uprooting impacts on roads.
- A system approach-based methodology developed in India for updating technical standards promises climate resilience from five dimensions – structural, serviceability, environmental, economic and social. It aims to prevent hazards from – entering the system, influencing the system components, and impacting the functioning of the critical components of the system.
