Incorporating Climate Change Resilience in India’s Railway Infrastructure: Challenges and Potential

Abstract

This study delves into the crucial task of embedding climate change resilience within the sphere of railway infrastructure planning and design in India. As climate change continues to threaten global transportation systems, the creation of robust, sustainable infrastructure becomes indispensable for minimizing its impacts. Initial investigation entails assessing both existing and anticipated climate change scenarios in India, encompassing elements like temperature fluctuations, changes in precipitation, and severe weather phenomena. Following this, the study proceeds to pinpoint the specific risks and vulnerabilities that the Indian railway system stands to confront due to these climatic shifts. A thorough exploration of current adaptation policies and strategies provides a framework to merge these into railway infrastructure planning and design, using a mix of literary review, best practices, and international case studies as resources. The Indian railway network undergoes a meticulous analysis to evaluate its vulnerability, leading to the identification of key adaptation measures like devising new railway tracks, enhancing the existing infrastructure, adopting resilience-based technologies, and implementing nature-centric solutions. The research probes the economic, social, and environmental ramifications of these measures, underlining the long-term sustainability and beneficial impacts on the transportation industry. Expert interviews, stakeholder consultations, and policy analysis culminate in a set of recommendations for policymakers, urban planners, and transportation authorities. These recommendations aim to shape the progression of a climate-resilient railway infrastructure in the light of India's distinct challenges. Such an integration of climate change adaptation strategies contributes towards a more robust and sustainable transportation system. This study enriches the existing body of knowledge on climate change adaptation in transportation, offering valuable perspectives for policymakers, practitioners, and researchers aiming for climate resilience in the railway sector.

The Limitations of EMSs in Comparison with the SDGs When Considering Infrastructure Sustainability: The Case of the Terzo Valico Dei Giovi, Italy

“…Sustainable development provides a basis for assessing climate change mitigation policies and highlights the need for adaptation to avoid the risk of significant environmental impacts [34]. Adaptation policies, strategies, and measures, if they are to be truly capable of increasing security, decreasing negative impacts, and producing climate-resilient infrastructures, must be based on local scenarios (that consider social, environmental, and economic aspects) [35]. The first step is the introduction in 1985 of the EU Directive 85/377/EEC which promotes the use of EIA as a fundamental environmental policy and planning tool [8,9].…”