Adapting Road Infrastructure to Climate Extremes and Change

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1 Adapting Road Infrastructure to Climate Extremes and Change Experience from Small Pacific Island States September 2015

2 Pacific Island Countries (PICs) - - geographically dispersed, remote with small populations

3 Addressing vulnerability to climate extremes and change Likely changes Higher temperatures More Intense rainfall Seasonal drought Shifts in rainfall patterns Storm surges Rising sea levels Changes in frequency, intensity, location of tropical cyclones + Key Points of Exposure Majority of populations live within 1km of the coast Low lying atolls<3m high Critical infrastructure located in coastal zones Poverty and economic hardship especially in low income countries (Solomon Islands, Kiribati) Significant Vulnerability Severe weather events and natural disasters devastating impacts Tropical Cyclone Evan (2012): 30% loss of GDP in Samoa Cyclone Ian (2014): 11% loss of GDP in Tonga Cyclone Pam (2015): 64% loss of GDP in Vanuatu

4 Roads are amongst critical infrastructure requiring enhanced resilience Many primary roads - especially on low islands - lack drainage, are adjacent to the coast and in some areas are less than 1m above sea-level Maintenance is often neglected, making roads even more vulnerable during severe weather events Limited resources (human, fiscal and material) hinder Governments toolkits Limited scope for road-user charges, levies, and private sector competition are major development constraints

5 Engagement uses a four-pillared framework to enhance resilience of roads Framework projects have to use at least one of the pillars Spatial planning and risk-based tools Fit-forpurpose infrastructure solutions All road resilience projects satisfy three key criteria Strengthening the enabling environment Supporting post-disaster recovery Vulnerability-driven Project design reflects country s greatest resilience needs Resource-focused Government must possess or acquire capacity to deliver Sustainability Resilience measures are designed to continue or be scaled-up following project close

6 1 Pillar Spatial planning and risk-based tools Country Examples Samoa Tonga

7 Samoa is strengthening participatory approach to planning for climate extremes Coastal Infrastructure Management (CIM) Plans Approach: Inclusive and participatory planning to build resilience at the community level Scope: One National CIM Strategy and 41 CIM Plans (1 for each district) were adopted and are now being updated Impact: The plans are transformational in that they assess, for the first time, the resilience of coastal infrastructure to flooding, coastal erosion and landslides CIM Plan Success Factors NAT L GOV T 41 DISTRICTS 283 VILLAGES ~6,000 PEOPLE Top-down and bottom-up Multi-level Engagement 2-Way Communication

8 Samoa and Tonga are strengthening their spatial hazard mapping capabilities Samoa Rolling-out a country-wide Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) analysis to strengthen spatial hazard mapping analysis Geo-referenced high-resolution aerial photography will cover bathymetric and topographic data LiDAR generated data will be used to update existing CIM plans Tonga Assessed and mapped coastal hazards and risks for affected islands of Ha apai after cyclone Ian Some islands used LiDAR For islands where LiDAR data was not available, new maps were created, highlighting mean sea level at points along inhabited coastlines Analyses will provide information on storm tide inundation depths and levels, hazard zones, design wave information, and sealevel rise

9 Samoa s is developing risk-based vulnerability assessment for roads Vulnerability Prioritization Framework Exposure/ Vulnerability Hazard Frequency and Severity High Low High First priority areas Secondary priority areas Low Secondary priority areas Third priority areas Vulnerability prioritization framework will identify the most vulnerable sections of road network CIM plans and LiDAR data will inform the assessment This is based on experience from Vietnam and could inform road projects in the Pacific Vulnerability assessment will be included in the Strategy for the Development of Samoa

10 2 Pillar Fit-for purpose infrastructure solutions Country Examples Kiribati Samoa Tonga

11 Resilient design centers on installing drainage and raising low-lying roads Key Issues In some areas, the most vulnerable roads are less than 1m above sea-level and located within steps of the coast Complex design solutions are often not fit-for purpose given limited resources Even vital, basic drainage is typically absent due to limited capital Some PICs need to import aggregate thousands of kilometers, creating cost and environmental challenges Near to medium-term efforts financed by WBG and other donors include raising the road elevation to a no-regrets level and installing drainage The long-term solution is moving the roads inland - land issues and limited funds are binding constraints

12 A few countries are using geo-cell technology to enhance the climate resilience of low-volume roads Key Issues Traditional paving options (e.g. concrete, asphaltic concrete, surface dressing, and interlocking paving stones) are not cost effective for low-volume roads Geo-cell pavements are an intermediate technology between interlocking paving stones and surface dressing They can be used to construct durable pavements with a labor-based approach at lower costs Geo-cells are an eco-friendly climate-resilient solution that reduces maintenance needs Kiribati is amongst the first users

13 Coastal infrastructure is being strengthened to help protect adjacent roads A Menu of hard and greener options Traditional engineering approach has focused on construction or strengthening of seawalls (and sometime breakwaters and groins) Greener options to replace or complement hard infrastructure have included living shorelines and rehabilitation of coastal habitats including mangroves PICs will use lessons learned from Timor-Leste, which is using green bioengineering solutions for slope stabilization in a road project The choice between hard and greener options depends on availability of capital and the balance of technological and labor resources within the country

14 3 Pillar Strengthening the enabling environment Country Examples Samoa Tonga Kiribati

15 Strengthening the enabling environment through capacity building and legal/regulatory reforms Capacity building Project management support within key implementing entities Engaging and providing training in resilience to about 50 counterparts in relevant Ministries in Samoa, Tonga and Kiribati Collaboration with civil society organizations to deliver climate change related services Capacity Building Strengthened enabling environment - secure funding and create programs to strengthen resilience In FY16, Samoa will review its framework to identify legislative actions to enhance road resilience Following Cyclone Ian, Tonga is undergoing a review of legislation on recovery and reconstruction efforts Enabling Environment Legal Regulatory Regulatory reforms - updating design and planning standards and maintenance procedures to address likely changes in climate fit-for-purpose obligations, performance-based standards, technical standards, and codes of practice Creating incentives to support resilience-focused maintenance is key Stakeholder engagement in design of regulations is essential

16 4 Pillar Supporting post-disaster recovery Country Examples Samoa Tonga

17 Ongoing recovery efforts are rebuilding roads, communities and supporting more resilient infrastructure Practical Measures Clean-up blocked drains and culverts and repairs to protective infrastructure (e.g. seawalls) becomes more urgent and necessary Deployment of a rapid needs assessment is essential to ascertain the extent of network damage and its impact on the economy Identify opportunities for advanced government procurement and retroactive financing is imperative for emergency operations When feasible, relocation of affected roads, communities and infrastructure further from the coast should be a priority

18 Summary and early lessons Climate change and changing extremes are a reality for Pacific Island States Well-maintained climate resilient roads are vital for ensuring domestic economic growth and intra-island connectivity in a region vulnerable to climate change With limited budgets, road authorities in PICs need support and incentives to use climate resilient measures, particularly the greener options. strengthening the enabling environment and engaging with key agencies and Ministries of finance helps Ensuring financial sustainability of the activities and long-term support engagement are important for effective implementation Achieving positive project outcomes depends on simple design and implementation arrangements and ensuring local communities are engaged throughout the project