URS-penned gov't report on climate change risks to infrastructure

A report produced by URS for a UK government cross-departmental climate change infrastructure and adaptation project has concluded that Britain's energy, water and transport infrastructure is potentially at risk, technically and operationally, from climate change, if effective plans are not developed to cope with its affects.

Examples of potential risks include: loss of efficiency at fossil fuel power plants due to increased temperatures; road and rail bridges suffering increased risk of scour due to greater precipitation and storminess; and reduced security of water supply due to changing precipitation patterns and periods of drought.

In addition to assessing potential risks to infrastructure that may represent the long-term impacts of climate change, the government has published a report by the "engineering the future" group on opportunities for and barriers to the engineering sector taking a global lead in designing and engineering climate-resilient infrastructure.

Two other sub-projects, on adaptation solutions and increasing the resilience of the telecoms sector to climate change, are due to result in reports this year.

• Defra statement
• summary report
• full report