Resilient transport in Small Island Developing States: From a call for action to action

This report aims to help practitioners integrate climate resilience considerations into transport asset management and thus enhance climate resilience in the transport sectors of Small Island Developing States (SIDS). SIDS are among the most exposed, vulnerable countries in the world to natural hazards and the impacts of climate change. Extreme weather events such as flooding and hurricanes significantly affect the transport sector, with damage from such events accounting for a large percentage of total infrastructure damage costs.

The report highlights key learnings in developing resilient transport asset management systems (TAMS). Firstly, long-term engagement and strong commitment from capacity building to finance are crucial for sustained transition to resilient transport asset management. Secondly, facilitating local ownership and long-term sustainability of solutions calls for adjusting resilient TAMS to the local context, building on existing capacity and skills, and addressing practical needs. Thirdly, filling critical data and information gaps by leveraging modern tools is critical. Finally, coordinating with other development partners is essential to build on each other’s efforts and to offer continued support for capacity building and incremental improvements.