Transportation systems worldwide are increasingly vulnerable to the impacts of extreme heat, which can damage infrastructure, disrupt operations, and pose serious risks to both users and workers. A new report funded by the Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery (GFDRR), titled Heatwaves and Their Effects on Transportation Systems: A Comprehensive Review, consolidates global research on how rising temperatures affect various transport modes. The findings are complemented by an issue note, Preparing Resilient Transportation Systems for Heatwaves, which translates scientific insights into actionable strategies for policymakers and planners to enhance infrastructure resilience while safeguarding public and workforce safety.
As heatwaves become more frequent and severe, roads, railways, runways, and transit networks are being tested under extreme conditions. The effects include buckled rails, degraded pavements, and damaged airport runways, alongside increased stress on transport workers and changes in travel behavior. These impacts undermine the safety, reliability, and inclusiveness of transport systems, making it essential for governments to integrate climate resilience into infrastructure planning and operations.
The comprehensive review quantifies how extreme heat affects transportation assets and performance across multiple modes — including roads, rail, air, and public transport — while identifying major data gaps, particularly in developing countries facing rapid infrastructure growth and climate stress. It also explores how social factors such as income, age, and gender shape vulnerability and exposure to heat-related risks, revealing that the consequences of heatwaves extend beyond technical failures to affect accessibility, safety, and equity.
The accompanying issue note distills these findings into practical guidance, urging transport agencies to adopt a systemic approach that considers both physical assets and human dimensions. It highlights that adaptation measures can have complex trade-offs — for example, cooling pavement surfaces may reduce damage but increase pedestrian heat exposure, while stricter safety protocols for rail and aviation may disrupt services. The note recommends actions such as identifying critical vulnerabilities, applying flexible adaptation pathways, advancing heat equity, and strengthening governance for extreme heat resilience.
Together, the report and issue note provide a vital knowledge base for developing transportation systems that are safe, efficient, and equitable in a warming world. They emphasize that protecting mobility in the face of rising temperatures requires an integrated resilience strategy — one that unites infrastructure design, workforce well-being, and user experience from planning through recovery. Developed through collaboration between the World Bank, GFDRR, and Purdue University, this work reflects a shared global commitment to helping countries anticipate, adapt to, and withstand the growing impacts of climate change.
