Navigating Climate Variability for the Pursuit of Transportation Infrastructure Sustainability: A Systematic Review

• Published in: Infrastructures (Basel) 2024-10, Vol.9 (10), p.182
• Main Authors: Islam, Monirul, Kabir, Golam
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adaptive systems; Asphalt pavements; bibliometric methods; Bibliometrics; Case studies; Climate; Climate adaptation; Climate change; climate variability; Collaboration; Data collection; Design factors; Floods; Infrastructure; infrastructure sustainability; Literature reviews; Maintenance; Risk assessment; Sea level; Software; Storm damage; Strategic planning; Structural integrity; Sustainability; System reliability; transport systems; Transportation engineering; transportation infrastructure; Transportation systems; Trends; Variability; Weather
• ISSN: 2412-3811; 2412-3811
• DOI: 10.3390/infrastructures9100182

The increasing frequency and severity of climate variability poses substantial challenges to the sustainability and reliability of transportation infrastructure worldwide. Transportation systems, vital to economic and social activities, are highly vulnerable to extreme weather, sea-level rise, and temperature fluctuations, which can disrupt their structural integrity, operational efficiency, and maintenance needs. The aim of this study is to explore the scholarly landscape concerning the effects of climate variability on transportation systems, analyzing 23 years of scientific publications to assess research trends. Utilizing bibliometric methods, this analysis synthesizes data from numerous scientific publications to identify key trends, research hotspots, influential authors, and collaborative networks within this domain. This study highlights the growing acknowledgment of climate variability as a crucial factor affecting the design, maintenance, and operational resilience of transportation infrastructure. Key findings indicate a notable increase in research over the last decade, with a strong focus on the effects of extreme weather events, sea-level rise, and temperature changes. The analysis also shows a multidisciplinary approach, incorporating perspectives from civil engineering, environmental science, and policy studies. This comprehensive overview serves as a foundational resource for researchers and policymakers, aiming to enhance the adaptive capacity of transportation systems to climate variability through informed decision-making and strategic planning.