European transport faces up to bad weather
Extreme weather phenomena can literally stop trains in their tracks, hamper road networks and close down airports. The EU-funded project 'Weather extremes: Assessment of impacts on transport systems and hazards for European regions' (Weather) investigated the socioeconomic impact of severe weather events. The project studied climate scenarios per region, examining the effects of serious weather events on transport modes and infrastructures. It also studied cases of damage in the past to identify best practices in managing emergencies and estimating damage costs to the sector. To illustrate, the project team used northern Italy as one of its pilot areas in order to estimate disruptions caused by projected temperature and precipitation changes. It identified 300 adaptation strategies through workshops, literature reviews and expert interviews related to different infrastructures and modes of transport. The Weather project then identified policy options to implement remediation measures and improve emergency management in Europe. This was achieved by conducting a comprehensive literature review to outline the different adaptation strategies, taking into consideration current adaptation policy frameworks that focus on risk-based approaches. Many innovative strategies to deal with extreme weather phenomena have been documented. Through two workshops held in the Netherlands and in the United States, as well as a final conference held in Greece, the project team disseminated these valuable results to stakeholders. Europe's ability to manage emergencies in severe weather across the continent and alleviate socioeconomic pressure on its citizens stands to benefit tremendously from this initiative.