ID: 1739
Presenting Author: Paloma Salas
Session: 663 - Climate risks assessment in the age of climate misinformation
Status: pending
The proposed road infrastructure master plan integrate climate risk assessments and project-level ESMS to build resilience, ensure accountability, and foster access to sustainable financing.
Transport project management continues to struggle with addressing climate change in risks assessments. Despite growing climate risks, vulnerability analysis is rarely integrated into early planning stages, which limits the opportunity to design adaptive and resilient solutions.
To address this issue, the Master Plan for Road Infrastructure proposes incorporating climate risk and vulnerability assessments from the preparation phase to guide investments that are both technically sound and responsive to climate concerns. Integrating climate data, hazard mapping, and scenario analysis from the beginning supports a proactive approach to managing uncertainty and aligning infrastructure decisions with national decarbonization goals and territorial resilience strategies.
In parallel, each project within the portfolio is proposed to establish its own Environmental and Social Management System (ESMS). This enables the more effective identification and management of environmental, and climate risks, supports transparent reporting and accountability to stakeholders, and facilitates the design of management programs focused on risk avoidance and minimization rather than mitigation or compensation alone.
This integrated approach enhances governance, credibility, and trust, particularly in contexts where climate information is uncertain or contested. Transparent and early communication of risks builds institutional legitimacy, strengthens adaptive capacity, and positions impact assessment as a strategic tool for developing resilient and accountable infrastructure.
Dr. Paloma Salas is Director of Infraestructure at FOA Consultores. a publi policy expert with 22 years of experience, working to integrate climate change into ESMS and impact assessment.
Coauthor 1: Itsi teri Mendoza
Coauthor 2: Alejandra Valencia