A major new study will explore how climate change could disrupt Scotland’s critical infrastructure, helping organisations understand the interconnected risks facing the services that millions of people rely on every day.
The research has been commissioned by the Climate Ready Infrastructure Scotland (CRIS) Forum, a collaborative partnership bringing together infrastructure operators, government bodies and academic institutions to improve Scotland’s resilience to climate change.
In what is believed to be one of the first projects of its kind globally, jointly commissioned by multiple infrastructure owners and operators, the study will investigate how climate-related disruption in one sector can quickly create wider impacts across others. Transport, energy, water, telecommunications and other essential services will all be examined as part of the initiative.
The work aims to uncover vulnerabilities that may not be identified when industries assess climate risks independently, providing a more comprehensive understanding of how infrastructure systems depend on one another.
Cabinet Secretary Highlights Urgent Need for Action
Gillian Martin MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Climate Action and Rural Affairs, said:
“Our changing climate is placing increasing pressure on the infrastructure and services we rely on every day. As extreme weather becomes more frequent and severe, it is vital we understand not only the risks facing individual sectors, but also its knock-on effect.
“We’re committed to strengthening Scotland's infrastructure in the face of a changing climate and this pioneering project helps demonstrate Scotland's leadership on climate adaptation and resilience. By building a shared understanding of climate risks across transport, energy, water, communications and other critical networks, we will be in a better position to help identify interdependencies and ensure investment is targeted to maximise improvements to system-wide resilience.”
First National Infrastructure Dependency Register
A key outcome of the project will be the development of Scotland’s first shared register mapping how critical infrastructure systems depend on one another.
Researchers will identify weak points across interconnected networks where climate-related failures could have the most significant consequences. The study will also analyse how disruption caused by floods, storms, heatwaves and other climate-related events could cascade between sectors.
The findings will then be tested through a series of place-based case studies across Scotland, helping stakeholders understand the real-world impacts on communities, businesses and essential public services.
Network Rail Scotland Supports Collaborative Approach
David Harkin, Weather Resilience and Climate Change Adaptation Strategy Manager at Network Rail Scotland and co-chair of the CRIS Forum, said:
"We have a growing understanding of the climate risks facing individual sectors, including within the railway. What's much less clear is how disruption can spread between them. A power outage can affect communications, transport disruption can delay recovery efforts, and the impacts can quickly reach far beyond the point where the original damage occurred.
“Much of our infrastructure was built for a climate that no longer exists. That’s why the Climate Ready Infrastructure Scotland Forum was created, and for the first time, organisations that own and operate our critical infrastructure are working together to build a shared understanding of these risks. The research will underpin everything we do next together to help build Scotland’s resilience to the changing climate.”
For the rail sector, the research is expected to provide valuable insight into how failures in other industries, such as power supply or telecommunications, could affect railway operations and recovery activities during extreme weather events.
Broad Industry Backing
The commission is being funded by a coalition of infrastructure owners, operators and public bodies, supported by the Scottish Government.
Partners include:
- Network Rail
- Scottish Water
- ScotRail
- Openreach
- SSEN Distribution and Transmission
- Transport Scotland
- Met Office
The project will be managed and coordinated by the National Centre for Resilience, hosted by the University of Glasgow.
Professor Fabrice Renaud, Director of the National Centre for Resilience, said:
“The National Centre for Resilience is delighted to be delivering this Commission on behalf of the CRIS Forum. As Scotland faces increasing climate-related hazards, we need to better understand how our infrastructure systems are connected and how disruption in one sector could affect others.
“The Climate Risk Interdependencies Commission will look across sectors to identify where these interconnected vulnerabilities and risks lie, and what this could mean for our communities and the provision of essential services we all rely on. This work will help inform how we can strengthen Scotland's resilience to natural hazards and better prepare for the challenges we face.”
The project will shortly be put out to tender through Public Contracts Scotland, with the successful supplier expected to deliver the research over the next 12 months.
Image credit: Network Rail
