Are transport systems ready to cope with extreme heat?

Extreme heat events pose significant risks to transportation infrastructure and services globally. Asphalt pavements, steel rails, aviation networks, public transit systems, and active transport modes face substantial pressures from heat exposure, with rippling impacts on operations, safety, user comfort, and asset maintenance costs.

Gabriele Manoli was part of an expert working group - led by Purdue University, Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery (GFDRR), and The World Bank - that developed an actionable, forward looking climate resilient agenda for preparing transportation systems for heatwaves, as summarized today in the Nature Magazine. The commentary identifies low regret strategies and adaptation pathways that cities can use to prepare transportation systems, highlighting heat equity is an important part of the process.