To help transport network stakeholders improve the resilience of these networks, in 2015 Cerema published a methodology for assessing risks incurred by transport infrastructures and services due to climate change.
Cerema and Carbone 4 applied this innovative method to 750 kilometres of the DIR Méditerranée road network, by assessing:
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its exposure to current and future climate events,
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the vulnerabilities of the different network systems: road pavement; engineering structures, etc.;
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and the vulnerability of this network’s functionalities, in particular those related to everyday movements, for each of these climate events.
As a result of the assessment, risk maps were created combining the different issues affecting infrastructures and functionalities of the DIR Méditerranée road network for several climate events. These maps show the present situation and the future outlook according to different climate change scenarios. These results are very useful for improving network management policies and strategies, in an increasingly difficult context from a budgetary point of view. This type of approach can also be applied to issues other than those linked to climate change. It can help managers prioritise their works, adapt their technical solutions by anticipating potential hazards, and thereby optimise upcoming medium term expenditure.
It is an important step towards integrated asset management, and Cerema and Carbone 4 now have the capability to support managers as they strive to achieve this objective.
This work has been showcased internationally and is one of the best practices highlighted by the World Road Association (PIARC) in its upcoming report on strategies for road network adaptation and resilience against climate change.
To find out more about transport network resilience and integrated asset management, follow us on @CeremaRoute and @Carbone4!