Abstract
The importance of critical infrastructures and strategic planning in the context of extreme events, climate change and urbanization has been underscored recently in international policy frameworks, such as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015–2030 (UNISDR (United Nations/International Strategy for Disaster Risk Reduction) 2015), and the new Paris climate agreement (UNFCCC (United Nations — Framework Convention on Climate Change) 2015) as well as the New Urban Agenda (UN-HABITAT 2016). This paper outlines key research challenges in addressing the nexus between extreme weather events, critical infrastructure resilience, human vulnerability and strategic planning. Using a structured expert dialogue approach (particularly based on a roundtable discussion funded by the German National Science Foundation (DFG)), the paper outlines emerging research issues in the context of extreme events, critical infrastructures, human vulnerability and strategic planning, providing perspectives for inter- and transdisciplinary research on this important nexus. The main contribution of the paper is a compilation of identified research gaps and needs from an interdisciplinary perspective including the lack of integration across subjects and mismatches between different concepts and schools of thought.
Highlights
The rise in economic losses due to natural hazards and climate-related extreme events is increased significantly when critical infrastructures fail to operate or operate sporadically
We argue that in order to increase the resilience of cities and critical infrastructures (CI) one has to address the nexus between extreme events, CI failures, dependency of users on CI services and their vulnerability to CI failures, as well as options of strategic planning
This paper introduces the international context of CI and outlines definitions of what CI are and why they are seen as key elements in international agreements, such as the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR)
Summary
The rise in economic losses due to natural hazards and climate-related extreme events is increased significantly when critical infrastructures (such as energy, water supply, information and communication systems, transportation systems, or health facilities) fail to operate or operate sporadically. Such disruptions affect local areas most severely, but they can have global ramifications and significance. Despite the increasing international awareness about the importance of critical infrastructure dependencies and the need for disaster resilience, most programs and research initiatives continue to focus on individual systems or the technical interrelations of coupled CI, such as the linkages between energy and water supply systems. Before exploring new drivers that influence the role of CI, the following section deals with new international agreements and directives that highlight the importance of CI
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