Paving the Way for Climate-Resilient Infrastructure - UN CC:Learn

PART IChapter 3: Workshop Objective and ScopeWorkshop Objective and ScopePradeep KurukulasuriyaClimate change and its impacts on infrastructure comprise a complex problem without a single allencompassingsolution. Tackling this issue is beyond the capacity of one institution. Given the tremendouscommitment to this topic in El Salvador, it is possible to collectively develop a response strategy thatwill help address this issue as the challenge of climate change intensifies over time.3MotivationAs a country classified as high risk, El Salvador is extremely vulnerable to hydro-meteorological andgeological hazards. A series of recent climate-related incidences — including Hurricane Ida, whoseimpacts of severe flooding and landslides resulted in $239 million in damages and losses (including 200human lives and $100 million of damages to infrastructure) — are indicators of what will become a muchgreater problem. Climate change is establishing a new norm of increased frequency and severity of theseextreme events, as well as of long-term changes. Given the serious impacts that these threats have oninfrastructure, El Salvador needs to internalize climate change risks into infrastructure.ObjectivesAt the request of the Government of El Salvador, UNDP is ready to work with experts in the country andthe region to address the issue of climate change and infrastructure through the following objectives:To understand the additional risks posed by long-term climate change on12infrastructure: Rather than long-standing climate variance or weather-related issues,considerations about additional risks posed by long-term climate change on infrastructureconcern significant changes that will manifest gradually, and sometimes very rapidly.Significant uncertainty about both the science and the responses contributes to challengesin synthesizing this understanding.To formulate a strategic approach to managing long-term risks recognizing a variety ofpriorities: Developing a strategic approach for El Salvador to manage this issue will requirea recursive and iterative process demanding continuous reconsideration of assumptionsand updated thinking. A holistic, systems approach to the problem, including both hardand soft measures, is necessary.‘‘ Climate change isestablishing a new normof increased frequencyand severity of theseextreme events, aswell as of long-termchanges. Given theserious impacts thatthese threats have oninfrastructure, El Salvadorneeds to internalizeclimate change risksinto infrastructure.’’34To mobilize financial and technical resources as well as internal and externalpartnerships: Interventions to change infrastructure cost money, but access to funds fromdifferent sources around the world (e.g. trust funds and bilateral resources) are increasinglybeing made available to developing countries to put these resources into place.To support implementation and share results: UNDP will offer ongoing supportthroughout El Salvador’s intervention efforts. The discussions taking place at this meetingrepresent the beginning of a long partnership between UNDP and El Salvador and otherpartners to start addressing this issue.Pradeep Kurukulasuriya is SeniorTechnical Adviser on ClimateChange Adaptation at UNDP/GEFPaving the Way for Climate-Resilient Infrastructure: Conference Proceedings 11