This report by BCG and CDRI outlines a comprehensive framework to embed climate and disaster resilience into South Asia’s transport infrastructure.
With over $575 billion in transport assets exposed to climate risks, the region faces mounting threats from floods, heatwaves, and other geo-climatic hazards. The report emphasizes a lifecycle approach, embedding resilience from planning to end-of-life, supported by strategic enablers like policy, data, finance, governance, and capacity building.
It proposes six calls to action, including national adaptation plans, climate risk assessments, resilient codes, procurement reforms, skill development, and innovative financing. Case studies from the U.S., China, the Philippines, and Italy illustrate global best practices.
The report urges coordinated action among governments, infrastructure entities, financiers, and civil society to transform South Asia’s transport systems into resilient, future-ready networks that safeguard economic growth, public services, and environmental sustainability.
Key points
- South Asia’s transport infrastructure faces rising climate and disaster risks.
- Resilience investments yield fourfold returns, reducing future economic losses.
- Roads, railways, ports, airports require tailored climate-resilient design interventions.
- Lifecycle planning embeds resilience from strategy to end-of-life stages.
- Policy, data, finance, governance, capacity are pillars of resilience.
- Coordinated stakeholder action is essential for resilient infrastructure transformation.