UNIVERSITY OF BIRMINGHAM
We asked one of our programme partners for the Resilient Infrastructure theme, the University of Birmingham with the Infrastructure Operators Adaptation Forum, to explain more about their work and how it connects with the aims of the COP Resilience Hub.
The University of Birmingham has linked with the Infrastructure Operators Adaptation Forum based in the UK to share best practice in infrastructure resilience, and promote discussion on key topics in this area, including infrastructure interdependencies, urban resilience, and developing engineering standards for a changing world.
We are excited to be in the Resilience Hub – climate resilience is equally important as climate mitigation (or decarbonisation) but gets far less of the limelight.
The Infrastructure Operators Adaptation Forum or IOAF brings together leading adaptation specialists within the UK from professional practice and academia.
For the professional practitioners within the IOAF, their day job is ensuring their infrastructure assets are resilient to weather and future climate change.
The School of Engineering at the University of Birmingham has a substantial track record in helping organisations understand the impact of weather on their infrastructure, and supporting climate adaptation. This includes developing a climate change adaptation framework for the International Union of Railways, providing independent assessments of infrastructure weather resilience and adaptation strategies for the UK Office of Road and Rail, and contributing to the 2021 UK Climate Change Risk Assessment.
As part of a UK-Aid project, we are currently developing a policy guide for transport resilience in Low Income Countries in Africa and Asia.
Going forward, we hope to share best practice and learn from our global colleagues.