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Urban Physical Infrastructure Adaptation to Climate Change

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Global Change, Energy Issues and Regulation Policies

Part of the book series: Integrated Science & Technology Program ((ISTP,volume 2))

Abstract

The chapter discusses urban physical infrastructure (UPI) which is a complex set of systems and networks that provide vital services to a city. UPI is vulnerable to climate change (CC) impacts, and on the other hand can help cities to adapt to CC. The analysis focuses on CC adaptation options of physical components of infrastructure: sewer conduits, bridges, flood barriers, electricity poles, and the like. UPI characteristics and development trends (interconnectivity, interdependence, convergence, sustainability, efficiency, vulnerability, resilience, critical elements, evolution, and flexibility) have been considered in the CC adaptation context. The chapter concludes that extreme weather events represent a major threat to UPI worldwide in the short and long term. Key recommendations for UPI CC adaptation were identified as: (1) early consideration of UPI adaptation in spatial development plans; (2) allowing UPI flexibility and considering the infrastructure development trends during planning and design processes; (3) mainstreaming CC adaptation into relevant legislation, giving particular attention to revision of reliability coefficient values in building codes and norms; and (4) developing managerial measures in a wider context of UPI operational safety and reliability. Analysis of projections for world expenditure on infrastructure development and the global growth of built-up areas revealed a huge gap between needs and actual provision of UPI, which should be bridged for successful UPI adaptation to CC.

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Abbreviations

AR4:

IPCC Assesment Report N° 4 (2007)

AVHRR:

Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer

CC:

Climate change

G-cans:

The G-Cans project (Shutoken Gaikaku Housui Ro or the Metropolitan Area Outer Underground Discharge Channel) is a massive underground waterway and water storage area built by the Japanese government to protect Tokyo from flooding during the monsoon seasons.

GDP:

Gross domestic product

IPCC:

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change

OECD:

Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development

SLR:

Sea-level rise

SMART:

Stormwater Management and Road Tunnel

UNISDR:

United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction

UK:

United Kingdom

UNFCCC:

United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change

UPI:

Urban physical infrastructure

WG II:

IPCC AR4 Working Group (Impacts Adaptation and Vulnerability)

SPOT:

Satellite Pour l’Observation de la Terre (Satellite for Earth Observation)

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Acknowledgments 

The author would like to acknowledge the contribution of (1) the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation and (2) the European Union Marie Curie Fellowship grant PIIF-GA-2010-273861, which both provided financial support for conducting a substantial part of this research.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Geography and the Environment, St. Petersburg State University, St. Petersburg, Russia

    Nikolai Bobylev

  2. School of Civil Engineering, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK

    Nikolai Bobylev

  3. St. Petersburg Research Centre for Ecological Safety of the Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg, Russia

    Nikolai Bobylev

  4. School of Innovation Science, St.Petersburg State Polytechnical University, 45, 195267, St. Petersburg, Russia

    Nikolai Bobylev

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  1. Nikolai Bobylev
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Correspondence to Nikolai Bobylev .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Pprime/ENSMA, BP 40109, Chasseneuil Cedex, 86961, France

    Jean Bernard Saulnier

  2. , Campus do UniCEUB, University Center of Brasilia, SEPN 707/907, Brasilia, DF, 70790-075, Brazil

    Marcelo D. Varella

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Bobylev, N. (2013). Urban Physical Infrastructure Adaptation to Climate Change. In: Saulnier, J., Varella, M. (eds) Global Change, Energy Issues and Regulation Policies. Integrated Science & Technology Program, vol 2. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-6661-7_4

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