Extreme weather events can threaten aging traffic systems

According to "Science Daily" March 20 news, research scientist with the National Center for Technology in Finland released study says extreme weather events caused by climate change in the "International Transport Forum report" Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development's (ITF Research Reports) It can pose a threat to the aging transportation infrastructure . For this we need to be prepared.

The study combines previous research findings from the European Union, the United States, Canada, Japan, and Australia. Researchers assessed the losses caused by disruptions in the transport system and the most effective ways to reduce losses, and listed various short- and long-term responses. Transportation system disruptions include traffic accidents, infrastructure damage, and traffic delays.

According to the "Experimental Study of Extreme Weather Impacts on European Networks of Transport " project conducted by the Finnish National Technology Research Center , it is found that only the disruption of the transport system to the EU national economy can account for the total domestic production. 0.15% of value ( GDP ) .

We need to be fully prepared to deal with extreme weather events in order to minimize or avoid dangerous situations. The study proposed nine countermeasures and suggested that it be incorporated into the transport and infrastructure management of the OECD countries. These strategies include: immediate action, investing in facility maintenance, preparing for more frequent extreme weather events, drafting contingency plans for emergencies, assessing the vulnerabilities of transport systems, and focusing on the adaptability of transport systems. It is to improve the infrastructure, reassess the redundant transport infrastructure so that when the main line breaks, it can provide other feasible routes, extend the evaluation scope beyond the traditional cost-benefit analysis, and develop new investment assessment methods to better analyze the future extremes. Uncertainty and risks that may occur in the event of frequent weather events.

“These proposals seek to address issues such as the planning, construction, evaluation, maintenance and use of transport systems and should be incorporated into the entire transport system management process. Many of the effects of climate change and extreme weather events will only occur after a long delay. It will show up, so the traffic system needs to deal with not only unexpected disasters such as heavy rain or snowstorms, for which we need to improve the adaptability of transportation networks over a long period of time,” said Pekka Leviakangas , a researcher at the Finnish National Technical Research Centre .

This article comes from the research report of the International Transport Forum and was reorganized and edited by China Rescue Equipment Network.