Improving the Uptake of Climate Change Adaptation in the Decision-Making Processes of Road Authorities; Output of the ICARUS Project

The integration of climate change and resilience considerations into the decision-making processes of National Road Administrations (NRAs) represents a delicate balancing act between ambition and pragmatism. A critical question is how to establish and execute a decision case for resilience through adaptation, finding equilibrium between service level requirements for the road network and the costs and benefits associated with enhancing resilience. The ICARUS project, funded by the Conference of European Directors of Roads (CEDR) emphasizes the importance of striking the right balance between service levels and costs, analogous to the mythologic figure Icarus flying neither too high nor too low. While European NRAs acknowledge the impact of climate change on their assets and operations, the full integration of adaptation strategies remains a formidable challenge. The ICARUS project aims to bridge this gap by advancing the state of the art in climate change resilience assessments, impact evaluation, cost-benefit assessments, and the implementation of nature-based solutions, while providing practical guidance on how to use these methods for building the decision case and use in the daily processes of road authorities.