15 November 2017: The World Bank has published a report on mitigating climate-related natural disaster risks in the transport sector of small island developing States (SIDS), noting that transport “plays a central role” in reducing SIDS’ vulnerability. The report proposes solutions to integrate climate risk considerations in transport infrastructure lifecycle management.

SIDS, located across the world in the Caribbean, Pacific, Africa, and Indian Ocean regions, are among the most vulnerable countries to natural disasters such as cyclones, extreme winds and storms. Due to their small size, location and topography, and dependence on fisheries and agriculture, SIDS can suffer high economic losses from natural disasters, between one and ten percent of their relative GDP.

In disasters, the low redundancy of transportation networks limits access to hospitals and other essential services.

The report titled, ‘Climate and Disaster Resilient Transport in Small Island Developing States: A Call for Action,’ notes that resilient transport policies have the potential to reduce future asset losses by 8.8 to 24%, and to reduce well-being losses by 16 to 27%. In SIDS, road networks are often entirely financed by the government or international aid, and the government then bears the financial burden of maintaining or restoring roads. In addition, the low redundancy of transportation networks in SIDS limits access to other essential services such as hospitals, as well as economic sectors. This disruption can “exacerbate long-term economic losses,” the report finds.

The report proposes policies both to mitigate the impacts of natural disasters as well as to change climate patterns that may increase their frequency and intensity. The policies include: physical protection; improved maintenance to reduce asset vulnerability; and faster restoration after disasters. In the case of high-impact, low-frequency events, it points out that financial instruments, including risk-sharing facilities and contingent credits, can play an important role to “restore service along critical transport corridors.”

The report also outlines a “guiding path” for SIDS to adopt best practices and build resilient transport infrastructure. The components of the path are: development of country-specific needs and transition plans; deployment of resilience solutions and transport asset management systems; capacity building and knowledge exchange; and fundraising and reassessing capital needs for continued enhancement of transport systems resilience. Given the strategic role of the transport sector and its vulnerability, the report that recommends SIDS asset managers incorporate climate and disaster risks into decision-making processes along the entire infrastructure lifecycle, including systems planning, engineering and design, operations & maintenance, and contingency programming. [Publication: Climate and Disaster Resilient Transport in Small Island Developing States: A Call for Action] [World Bank Press Release]