Engineering_the_future_2011.pdf

Engineering

the Future

Infrastructure,Engineeringand

ClimateChangeAdaptation

ensuringservicesinan

uncertainfuture

Producedby:

Infrastructure,Engineeringand

ClimateChangeAdaptation

ensuringservicesinan

uncertainfuture

Published by The Royal Academy of Engineering on

behalf of Engineering the Future

ISBN 1-903496-61-6

February 2011

The Royal Academy of Engineering

3 Carlton House Terrace

London SW1Y 5DG

Tel: 020 7766 0600 Fax: 020 7930 1549

www.raeng.org.uk

Registered Charity Number: 293074

A copy of this report is available online at

www.raeng.org.uk/adaptation

Contents

Contents..........................................................................................................2

Foreword..........................................................................................................3

1. Executive summary......................................................................................5

2. Introduction ...............................................................................................11

3. Adaptations within infrastructure sectors.................................................13

3.1 Energy ...................................................................................................13

3.2 Transport............................................................................................. 16

3.3 Communications .................................................................................19

3.4 Water ....................................................................................................21

4 Interdependencies – a systems approach to infrastructure.................... 24

5 Next steps.................................................................................................. 32

6 Appendices.................................................................................................34

6.1 Energy sector report.............................................................................34

6.2 Transport sector report....................................................................... 44

6.3 Communications sector report........................................................... 63

6.4 Water sector report ............................................................................. 72

6.5 Interdependencies workshop report .................................................. 94

6.6 Acknowledgements............................................................................105

References.................................................................................................. 106

Infrastructure, Engineering and Climate Change Adaptation

Foreword

ForewordbytheRtHonLordHenley

Essential infrastructure which guarantees our energy and water supplies and

enables safe and reliable use of road, rail and air transport is vulnerable to

the effects of climate change.

We already have some insight into what a changing climate might mean for

our infrastructure; high temperatures affecting rail lines leading to delays,

floods affecting water infrastructure, closing motorways and damaging

century old bridges, more extreme winter weather bringing costs and

disruption to services.

And as our climate continues to change the difficulty in meeting the challenge

of maintaining a robust and reliable infrastructure system increases.

This is especially true as our infrastructure sectors have developed into

highly technical and interconnected systems. If one sector is at risk, so are

the rest. If floods damage our energy supply, all other services can be

affected, causing a cascade of failure.

To meet the challenge, we need an infrastructure system that is more

resilient to climate change. This will require Government, the public and

private sectors and professional sectors such as engineers to come together

and proactively meet the challenge of creating a climate resilient

infrastructure system for the country. This will reduce the risk of economic

disruption to the country and enable the opportunities from well-adapted

infrastructure to be maximised.

Through the creation of Infrastructure UK this government has highlighted

the importance of infrastructure and it’s crucial role in generating and

sustaining economic growth. The UK’s first ever National Infrastructure Plan,

launched last year, underlines the importance of maintaining our transport,

water and energy systems in the face of climate impacts. And in Spring 2011

the government will publish a report on Adapting National Infrastructure,

emphasising the importance of well-adapted national infrastructure and

outlining this Government’s vision for moving forward.

The engineering profession has a crucial role to play. Engineers will be

designing, building and maintaining our infrastructure to enable it to adapt.

That is why I welcome this report from the Engineering the Future group,

setting out how innovation and new engineering approaches can boost the

climate resilience of our infrastructure.

Importantly, there is also an opportunity for UK engineers and leading

engineering companies to develop innovative, cost effective and marketable

solutions to climate threats for this country and abroad.

And Government will continue to work with the engineering profession to

meet the challenge of adapting our infrastructure and help the profession

take advantage of the opportunities a changing climate presents.

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