Solutions
In recent years, Catalonia has been experiencing more prolonged and intense drought periods. These conditions bring with them a higher risk of wildfires, which are a major threat to regional road networks. The Miraca (multi-hazard infrastructure risk assessment for climate adaptation) project, as part of the EU Mission on Adaptation to Climate Change, aims to develop and validate a decision-support toolkit that helps authorities identify climate-risk-prone regions and implement cost-effective adaptation measures to enhance the climate resilience of the EU’s critical infrastructure. Miraca’s second use case addresses the impacts of drought, heatwave and wildfire compound hazards on road networks in the Catalonia region.
- Risk assessment: A risk assessment is being carried out on the vulnerabilities of Catalonia’s road network to those compound hazards. Single hazard indicators are selected to start with; these indicators are combined with landscape information, such as vegetation presence, to consider both climatic conditions and the presence of biomass. Consultations with stakeholders, such as infrastructural managers, are carried out to understand gaps in existing wildfire risk assessments. An exposure model will also be developed, including Catalonia’s highways and primary, secondary and small roads.
- Adaptation options: The results of the risk assessment will be used to assess possible adaptation options, particularly in terms of where they should be implemented along the road networks. Living labs will be organised with local stakeholders, particularly within the tourism and forestry sectors, to discuss these options and how they can be implemented at the local level.
Co-benefits
Economic
The Catalonia case study supports more efficient investment in road infrastructure adaptation by identifying which sections of the road network are most exposed to the combined effects of drought, heatwaves and wildfires. The resulting risk assessments and exposure models will allow actors such as infrastructure managers and local authorities to prioritise adaptation measures in locations where they are expected to provide the greatest reduction in climate risk. This, in turn, will help to minimise service disruptions to economically important transport routes, often used for the movement of both goods and tourism.
Social
The solutions implemented in this use case strengthen collaboration between different actors through engagement and outreach activities such as stakeholder consultations and living labs. The actors involved include infrastructure managers, civil protection agencies, local authorities and local experts, ensuring that information and perspectives from different types of road network stakeholders is collected and considered. By identifying gaps in existing wildfire risk assessments and supporting the co-development of tailored adaptation measures, these activities also help protect local communities by contributing to safer and more reliable transport during climate-related emergencies.
Environmental
This case study combines drought, heatwave and wildfire indicators with landscape characteristics to better identify where climate and environmental conditions increase fire risk. This integrated approach supports adaptation measures that consider both transport infrastructure and the surrounding landscape, improving wildfire risk management that will indirectly protect not only the road network but also the habitats and landscapes that surround them.
Replicability
Collaborative assessment solutions strengthening infrastructural resilience to heatwaves, droughts, and wildfires
Best suited for
This model is best suited for regions where transport infrastructure is increasingly exposed to the combined impacts of droughts, heatwaves, and wildfires. The approach is particularly applicable to road networks that pass through, or are located near, fire-prone landscapes, where vegetation and changing climate conditions are putting this infrastructure at risk. It would also benefit such regions where road transport supports economically important sectors like tourism. It is a multi-hazard approach that can support adaptation planning in regions facing similar compound climate hazards.
Stakeholders' role
The case study relies on close collaboration with infrastructure managers and other regional stakeholders throughout the assessment and implementation process. Stakeholder consultations are used to identify gaps in existing wildfire risk assessments, while living labs involving the forestry and tourism sectors support the discussion, evaluation and implementation of adaptation options. This participatory approach ensures that adaptation measures reflect local knowledge and operational needs.
Built-in scalable tools
The Catalonia case study uses a transferable methodology that combines hazard indicators with landscape information, such as vegetation and biomass, to assess compound climate risks. An exposure model covering highways and primary and secondary roads enables infrastructure managers to identify vulnerable network sections and evaluate adaptation options. Because the methodology is based on hazard, exposure and stakeholder-informed risk assessment, it can be adapted for application in other regions facing similar climate risks.
Funding pathways
The pilot case was developed through the Horizon- Europe-funded MIRACA project, as part of the EU Mission on Adaptation to Climate Change.
