Infrastructure and buildings

Belgium's infrastructures, such as energy networks and transport systems, will be increasingly exposed to extreme weather events as climate changes. These risks could undermine the resilience of these infrastructures: if a single element fails, this could have cascading consequences for the whole of society.

The country's key infrastructures, such as electricity and transport networks, will be exposed to multiple climate risks in the years to come. BCRA coordinator Aurore Brunson explains: "Heatwaves will make power and nuclear plants less efficient by overloading networks and limiting the availability of cooling water. They might also weaken transport infrastructures - railways, roads and airstrips - which are sensitive to high temperatures".

According to the report’s projections, annual financial losses from the reduced performance of electricity systems could exceed €150 million in a +4°C warming scenario.

Social costs will rise

Flooding, whether from rivers, storms or rising sea levels, will pose a growing threat to infrastructure and could cause major structural damage. The example of the flooding of the Vesdre river in 2021 is poignant: costs of €5.2 billion, thousands of homes destroyed and 66,500 electricity connections and 15,150 gas connections cut off. Without adaptation measures, this disaster foreshadows the kind of consequences we can expect in the future.

Climate-related infrastructure risks affect people in different ways. People in precarious situations, often living in old buildings or situated in high-risk areas such as flood zones, are particularly exposed to failures in energy, water and transport systems.

Recommendations to strengthen resilience now

In light of these findings, the report calls for a rethink of land-use policies and building standards, taking into account climate scenarios up to 2050. These standards must go beyond energy performance: they also need to make buildings more resistant to heatwaves, flooding or subsidence.

Construction in high-risk areas must be strictly controlled by appropriate planning regulations. The report also recommends restoring wetlands and recreating flood plains.

Finally, the report stresses the need for better coordination between the various actors involved in infrastructure management, and between different levels of government. The aim is to ensure a coherent, coordinated response to the challenges of climate adaptation and resilience.

For further information, please refer to chapter 3.3 of the report. You will find an overview of the risks for infrastructure and buildings. In chapter 7, you will find, among other things, an overview of our recommendations for infrastructure & buildings.

Also read the technical papers and summary sheets that discuss these risks (download below).