Overview
In the Randstad one of the most important future challenges is the potential global warming and its implication for mobility, economy and social-welfare. Given the location of the Randstad, climate change is expected to be one of those factors having a great impact on the future condition and vulnerability of the infrastructure network and consequently on the decision-making regarding the maintenance, renovation and reconstruction (MR&R) of infrastructure assets. However, while previous research has mainly focused on the climatologic consequences of different transportation modes, very little effort has been devoted to understand the implications of changing climate conditions for MR&R of infrastructure assets. Moreover, there is scarce understanding of the incorporation of climate data in MR&R decisions, the required strategic MR&R decisions to respond to probable climate change scenarios, and the interrelatedness of MR&R decision-making and policy processes.
The main objective of this research programme is to improve the strategic MR&R decision-making at public agencies in the Randstad by integrating three interlinked areas of investigation: climate change, infrastructure asset performance, and policy development. These areas are studied in two research projects looking at the impact of changing local climate conditions on the performance of the infrastructure network in the Randstad, appropriate MR&R strategies to anticipate and mitigate climate change effects on infrastructure assets, and the integration of MR&R decision-making related to climate-induced effects on infrastructure in policy processes at public agencies in the Randstad.