Managing road transport in a world of changing climate and land use.

Natural hazards of river flooding, erosion, landslides and high sediment loads in streams and rivers continue to pose a significant threat to the management of infrastructure, particularly road transport, in most parts of the world. In Asia and Africa, especially, these hazards are considered to be on the increase in response to climate and land use-related factors. Recent studies in Africa and especially Ethiopia lead to the conclusion that complex and poorly understood interactions between geology, climate change and land use change have given rise to increased levels of damage and disruption to transport infrastructure. The prognosis for the future is that these trends will continue and perhaps accelerate. Current policies tend to focus on the 'proofing' of infrastructure against future climate change, possibly without due regard to other factors that may be more important in the short-medium term. This is possibly counterproductive in situations where existing and future risks are determined more by geohazard uncertainty and design deficiencies, and the sometimes overriding effects of land use change and land management practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]