Published on: September 28, 2023
Resilient transport infrastructure
The EU has one of the densest transport infrastructure networks in the world, but age and increasing pressure due to rising traffic is taking its toll. In addition, we have the effects of climate change, such as the storm Hans that hit the Scandinavian countries hard in August 2023 or the floodings in the Netherlands, Belgium and the north-western part of Germany during the summer of 2021.
“In the future, we will see more weather events like this,” says Johanna Alkan Olsson, Associate Professor of Environmental Science at Lund University. ”The main problem is, of course, climate change combined with the fact that there is nowhere for the water to go,” she says.
European cities and towns are not equipped to handle the amount of water that has fallen recently. This is because of how cities are designed, with a lot of asphalt, few green areas and dense buildings.
Until recently, solutions for reducing the risk of disasters and building climate resilience have mainly focused on grey infrastructure such as storm drains, embankments or retaining walls. However, grey infrastructure is seldom the most resilient, sustainable, or most cost effective. Instead, planners are beginning to turn to the use of natural elements and processes, called nature-based solutions (NBS).
Every 1 euro invested into nature restoration adds €8 to €38 in benefits, according to the European Commission.
Infrastructure losses have profound consequences for the development of our society. According to the Global Commission on the Economy and Climate, approximately EUR 85 trillion is expected to be invested globally in infrastructure during 2015–2030 to meet the world’s urban, land use and energy needs.
In the white paper “From Grey to Green – Resilient transport infrastructure through nature-based solutions” from Urban Insight experts highlight the benefits of NBS, showcase inspiring and innovative projects in Europe and leave you with five key lessons and recommendations for successful implementation.
