Climate change has become one of the biggest challenges of this century, threatening the sustainability of infrastructure assets and systems around the world. Increased intensity of extreme weather, sea level rise, and extreme temperature fluctuations have affected the durability, performance, and economic lifespan of infrastructure such as roads, bridges, power grids, and clean water systems. Therefore, adaptation to climate change is crucial in the planning, construction, operation and maintenance of infrastructure. This article discusses the importance of integrating climate adaptation in infrastructure asset management through three main sub-topics: the urgency of climate change on infrastructure, adaptation strategies in asset management, and supporting policies and instruments.
1. Climate Change Consideration
Many infrastructure assets are designed based on historical climate conditions and have not fully accounted for future climate projections. As a result, their resilience is vulnerable to extreme climate events. For example, flash floods can cause significant damage to roads and bridges, while heatwaves can affect railways and power plants.
The illustrative development pathways (red to green) and associated outcomes (right panel) show that there is a rapidly narrowing window of opportunity to secure a liveable and sustainable future for all. [IPCC – the Sixth Assessment Report]
According to the IPCC Sixth Assessment Report (2023), climate change will have an impact on cities, settlements, and infrastructure. This highlights that the world is at a critical crossroads—where the window of opportunity to achieve climate-resilient development is rapidly narrowing. The path toward a sustainable future—characterized by low emissions, systemic transitions, social equity, and the achievement of the SDGs—can only be reached through swift and coordinated adaptation and mitigation actions across all sectors, including infrastructure.
In the context of infrastructure asset management, this indicates that today’s planning and investment decisions will shape the ability of infrastructure to withstand future climate shocks. Infrastructure that is unprepared for climate change risks becoming locked into high-risk development pathways, such as ecosystem degradation, maladaptation, and limited adaptive capacity.
Conversely, if asset management strategies integrate climate adaptation, consider equity, and build flexible and resilient systems, then these assets can become a cornerstone for development aligned with global goals—limiting warming to below 1.5°C and ensuring long-term societal well-being.
2. Impact to infrastructure asset management
Climate change is putting enormous pressure on urban systems, settlements and infrastructure, primarily due to the increased frequency and intensity of extreme weather events and changes in long-term climate patterns. Without planned and evidence-based adaptive interventions, vulnerability to disasters will increase and bring multidimensional impacts. The four main types of impacts that deserve attention in infrastructure asset management are as follows:
- Inland flooding and associated damages
Increasingly frequent inland flooding is caused by extreme rainfall and inadequate urban drainage systems. Inconsistencies in urban planning—such as the conversion of green open spaces into built-up areas—impair groundwater absorption, preventing rainwater from being absorbed optimally. This leads to prolonged inundation and damage to buildings, roads and basic utility networks such as electricity and clean water. The impacts are not only physical, but also social, including disruptions to population mobility and economic activity. Flood risk management requires the integration of gray and green infrastructure, as well as sustainable spatial governance.
- Flood/storm-induced damages in coastal areas
Coastal areas are increasingly vulnerable to a combination of threats from tropical storms, high waves and sea level rise. Settlements along the coastline face risks of erosion, seawater intrusion, and damage to port and tourism infrastructure. Shoreline change can also threaten the functioning of coastal ecosystems that support local livelihoods. Without ecosystem-based adaptation measures, such as mangrove restoration, nature-compatible embankment construction and planned relocation, the potential physical and economic losses will be even greater.
- Damages to infrastructure
Public infrastructure such as roads, bridges, railways, mass transportation systems, waterways, and energy and communication networks are highly vulnerable to extreme climate events such as heat waves, heavy rainfall and storms. If the design, materials and construction methods are not updated to meet climate adaptation standards, the infrastructure will degrade faster than its design life. This adds to the cost of maintenance and increases the potential for systemic failures – such as widespread disruptions to electricity supply or the collapse of urban transportation systems. Therefore, the integration of adaptation dimensions in every infrastructure project cycle-from design, construction, use, to decommissioning-is crucial. - Damages to key economic sectors
Vulnerable or malfunctioning infrastructure can directly affect key economic sectors such as logistics, tourism, industry and trade. For example, floods that disrupt logistics distribution channels increase operational costs and reduce market efficiency. In the tourism sector, damage to facilities in coastal areas leads to reduced tourist numbers and potential job losses. Meanwhile, industries that depend on stable energy and water supplies will be disrupted if public infrastructure networks are unable to withstand the pressures of climate change. The region’s economic resilience depends heavily on the ability of its infrastructure systems to withstand and adapt to changing climate conditions.To conclude, the urgency to integrate climate adaptation aspects into infrastructure planning and management cannot be delayed. Cities and residential areas are centers of economic growth, social activity and human development. Improving the resilience of infrastructure assets to climate risks is therefore not just a matter of physical protection, but also a long-term investment in the sustainability and equity of development.
3. Development by Reciliency
In a phenomenon of global development landscape increasingly impacted by climate crisis and multidimensional disasters, traditional approaches to infrastructure asset management need to be fundamentally revisited. The title “Development Infrastructure Asset Management by Resiliency” reflects a new strategic direction that emphasizes resiliency as a key foundation for infrastructure development and management. This approach is no longer solely oriented towards technical efficiency or the physical lifespan of assets, but on the ability of infrastructure systems to cope, absorb, recover and transform themselves from various shocks and uncertainties, including those triggered by climate change.
Various global references reinforce this urgency. UNDRR (2022) through its Principles for Resilient Infrastructure proposes the concept of Net Resilience Gain, which is the principle that any infrastructure development intervention should result in increased systemic resilience and not create new vulnerabilities. Resilience becomes a strategic value that must be integrated from the planning, design, financing, and maintenance and decommissioning stages of infrastructure assets. The document asserts that resilient infrastructure not only supports the sustainability of basic services such as energy, water and transportation, but also strengthens investor confidence and long-term economic stability.
Similarly, CDRI (2023) in its Global Infrastructure Resilience Report states that investment in resilient infrastructure will yield a resilience dividend, a double benefit of reduced risk and increased economic and social value. This approach emphasizes the use of risk-based asset management and the development of resilient infrastructure asset classes as a way to strengthen public-private partnerships and attract adaptive investments. CDRI also encourages the adoption of nature-based infrastructure solutions and risk analysis tools such as the Global Infrastructure Risk Index (GIRI) to support proactive and predictive asset planning.
Nationally, Indonesia’s NDPBA (2020) shows that infrastructure vulnerability to disaster threats in Indonesia is spatial, systemic, and requires data- and risk-based assessments. With more precise climate and disaster risk mapping as well as the integration of national disaster information systems, a resilience-based asset management approach becomes increasingly relevant in the Indonesian context. This document emphasizes the important role of local governments and technical institutions in mainstreaming climate adaptation into public infrastructure management.
In terms of technical implementation, the transformation towards resilient infrastructure asset management can integrate three common international standards into a synergistic whole such as: ISO 55001 as the foundation of lifecycle-based asset management, ISO 14090 as a comprehensive climate adaptation guide, and ISO 31000 as a systematic reference for risk and uncertainty management.
They form an integrated framework that enables organizations, both public and private, to align asset performance with the long-term goal of adaptive, resilient and sustainable development.
Thus, “Development Infrastructure Asset Management by Resiliency” is not just a technocratic concept, but a strategic and collaborative pathway. It requires synergy among stakeholders, improved governance, and the courage to overhaul old paradigms to realize infrastructure that is not only physically strong, but also socially and ecologically adaptive in the face of a changing world.
At Greenwise Consulting, we believe that resilience is not just about surviving the climate crisis—it’s about thriving through it. With expertise across climate adaptation, sustainability strategies, green infrastructure, ESG advisory, and environmental governance, we help organizations turn uncertainty into opportunity.
Let us help you embed climate resilience into your infrastructure projects through:
- Infrastructure Risk Assessment
- Resilient Infrastructure Planning & Asset Management
- Nature-Based & Low Carbon Solutions
- ESG Integration & Reporting
- Green Investment Framework & Climate Financing
- Policy & Institutional Strengthening
- Sustainability Capacity Building & E-Learning
We are committed to turning sustainability into climate action. Get in touch today at www.greenwise.co.id/services to explore how we can support your journey towards resilient, adaptive, and future-ready infrastructure.
