CONCEPT NOTE
INTERNATIONAL TRAINING ON CLIMATE RESILENT INFRASTRUCTURE
VENUE: FOUR POINTS BY SHERATON HOTEL, NAIROBI KENYA
DATES: 28th April 6th May 2025
_____________________________________________________________________________
1. BACKGROUND
Since 1994, there has been a global consensus that climate change is increasingly becoming humans’ greatest threat in recent times. The UNFCCC, Kyoto Protocol, and the Paris Agreement are supporting rising levels of national ambition. The Paris Agreement, adopted under the UNFCCC, with near universal participation, has led to policy development and target-setting at national and sub-national levels, particularly in mitigation, as well as enhanced transparency of climate action and support.
The Synthesis Report (SYR) of the IPCC Sixth Assessment Report (AR6) shows that continued greenhouse gas emissions will lead to increasing global warming, with the best estimate of reaching 1.5°C in the near term in considered scenarios and modelled pathways. Every increment of global warming will intensify multiple and concurrent hazards. Deep, rapid, and sustained reductions in greenhouse gas emissions would lead to a discernible slowdown in global warming within around two decades and also to discernible changes in atmospheric composition within a few years.
The impacts of climate change on infrastructure and communities are increasingly evident, and the cost-benefit of proactive adaptation is clear. Climate change is already affecting Africa’s infrastructure, and the continent is projected to spend over $150 billion to repair and maintain damaged roads. Climate change impacts include:
- Flooding: Can be catastrophic for communication, food security, and the economy
- Drought: Can cause soil cracking, which can damage building foundations
- Bushfires: Can destroy infrastructure, block transportation, and cut off services
- Temperature and precipitation changes: Can damage roads
- Higher temperatures and aridity: Can threaten water storage capacities, damage infrastructure, and harm agricultural land
To ensure road spending delivers the best possible return and brings lasting development benefits, investment plans must take into account the consequences of a changing climate, as road assets are particularly vulnerable to climate stressors such as higher temperatures, increased precipitation, or flooding. Virtually all models show that weather extremes will indeed put considerable pressure on Africa’s Road system. The damage and accelerated aging of roads caused by climate change will require increased maintenance and more frequent rehabilitation. Aside from higher maintenance and rehabilitation costs, climate-related damage to the road infrastructure will also cause more frequent disruptions to the movement of people and goods, with direct consequences on economic productivity. Fortunately, there are effective ways of adapting new roads and modifying existing ones to enhance climate resilience.
It is in this context that the Environmental Capacities and Sustainability Institute (ECAS Institute) have designed and planned a ten-day training course in recognition that establishing and operationalising human capacities are essential for an effective approach addressing climate change and related development needs. This is very crucial because all levels of society need to be aware of mechanisms to reduce poverty through their contribution to solving environmental problems. In this regard, training and updating the knowledge of key experts is one of the logical approaches to realize the ambitious targets of emission reduction and capitalizing on carbon investment to spur sustainable development.
2. OBJECTIVES OF THE TRAINING
The overall objective of the training program is to help infrastructure practitioners strengthen the knowledge and competencies they require to advance more climate-resilient approaches for the planning, design and management of infrastructures. Specifically, the training will seek to:
- Understand the concept of climate-resilient infrastructure as a cornerstone for sustainable development.
- Become aware of the importance of resilient infrastructure and understand key challenges and bottlenecks.
- Gain insight into local capacity constraints and structural constraints based on specific examples/situations in both developed and developing countries.
- Learn about international standards for resilient infrastructure development and understand the criteria that help to make infrastructure more sustainable and resilient.
- Get to know further tools and instruments to assess and evaluate climate-resilient infrastructure projects and learn when and how to apply them.
- Better understand the dynamics and interactions between the planning, implementing, and financing climate resilience in Africa.
- Become aware of the importance of green procurement and contracting in order to legally ensure the sustainability of projects.
- Gain knowledge and expertise on designing and implementing climate-resilient infrastructure projects on hilly and mountainous landscapes.
3. WHAT YOU WILL LEARN
- Key concepts around climate adaptation, risk and resilient infrastructure.
- Concept of climate-resilient infrastructure as a cornerstone for sustainable development.
- The importance of resilient infrastructure and understanding key challenges and bottlenecks.
- Local capacity constraints and structural constraints based on specific examples/situations in both developed and developing countries.
- International standards for resilient infrastructure development and understanding criteria that help to make infrastructure more sustainable and resilient.
- Tools and instruments to assess and evaluate climate-resilient infrastructure projects and learn when and how to apply them.
- Dynamics and interactions between the planning, implementing, and financing climate resilience in Africa.
- Designing and implementing climate-resilient infrastructure projects on hilly and mountainous landscapes.
4. DURATION AND PROGRAM
The workshop will be held in ten (10) days inclusive of field work to climate-resilient feeder roads. The training will be held in Nairobi, Kenya, from 28th April to 6th May 2025. The venue will be the Four Points by Sheraton Hotel, Kenya.
5. TARGET PARTICIPANTS
This training and professional development course may be of interest to engineers involved in the planning, procurement, design, operation, maintenance, management or regulation of infrastructure and who need to consider climate risk, resilience, and the changing climate in carrying out these activities.
6. TRAINING FEES
The training fee is USD 3000, paid one week before the training date. The cost covers conference, training and certificate costs and SGR travel to Mombasa (both ways). Participants are expected to organize their travel, accommodation and related logistics. The invoice is attached to this letter.
7. TRAINING MODULES
|
No Module Details |
|||
|
1. |
Introduction to Climate Change and Applied Climate Science for Infrastructure Professionals |
This module will focus on building competency and skills to access climate data and climate services, and to apply climate information in the context of engineering, infrastructure and design to support climate change adaptation and resilience. It will provide clear, concise and up-to-date information for engineers and other practitioners interested in enhancing the climate resilience of existing and new infrastructure systems. The course does not seek to train Climate Scientists, but rather to raise awareness about climate change and illustrate practical considerations for integrating climate change into real-world projects. The course is intended to prepare practitioners to form collaborative interdisciplinary teams to analyze principal challenges and opportunities for climate change integration in the conventional project cycle. |
|
|
2. |
Climate Law and Policy for Infrastructure Practitioners |
Effective climate action is enabled by political commitment, wellaligned multilevel governance, institutional frameworks, laws, policies and strategies and enhanced access to finance and technology. Clear goals, coordination across multiple policy domains, and inclusive governance processes facilitate effective climate action. Regulatory and economic instruments can support deep emissions reductions and climate resilience if scaled up and applied widely. Climate-resilient development benefits from drawing on diverse knowledge. The module will provide an overview of legal frameworks aimed at mitigating and adapting to climate change and discuss existing and emerging legal obligations relevant to infrastructure professionals at the provincial, federal, and international levels. It will focus on the roles and responsibilities of infrastructure professionals and how they can adapt their practices to incorporate climate change and reduce exposure to potential negligence lawsuits, and explore corporate issues relating to climate change, including risk disclosure requirements, asset management and director and officer obligations, as infrastructure professionals have a role in managing these risks and assisting clients to improve climate risk disclosure. |
|
|
3. |
Climate Change and Infrastructure Risks, Vulnerability Assessment and Management |
This module will introduce participants to climate change risk and vulnerability assessments and analysis of how climate change and extreme weather events affect socio-economic factors to determine the overall risk to a population. A framework for climate change risk assessment will help them determine risks and respond to climate change to achieve optimal sustainable infrastructure outcomes. |
|
|
4. |
Leveraging PublicPrivate Partnerships, Asset Management and Climate Resiliency |
This Course introduces the fundamentals of asset management so that learners can identify the benefits and challenges of infrastructure asset management and link this to their practice, including land use planning, operations and maintenance, finance, and risk management. The course provides an understanding of how climate can impact assets and services and the integration of risk mitigation and adaptation measures over the life cycle of an asset. Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) are a key entry point to integrate climate adaptation and resilience into infrastructure projects. African Governments are increasingly turning to PPPs to finance infrastructure and bridge the $15 trillion investment gap by 2040. Yet, while there is a strong body of knowledge on guidance for PPPs and literature on climate risks, resilience, and infrastructure, countries lack information on how to bring those two fields together |
|
|
5. |
Strengthening Climate-Resilient Infrastructure in Mountainous and Hilly Landscapes |
Mountainous areas are at the forefront of climate change, experiencing above-average warming. They are areas in which tipping elements such as permafrost and alpine glaciers are at stake. Reaching these critical tipping points can result in large-scale, non-linear, irreversible changes in mountain ecosystems. Mountainous areas are home to 13% of the world’s population (about 915 million people). Multiple factors, including the hydrology, vegetation, and ecological and socio-economic conditions, shape the exposure and vulnerability of human and natural systems in mountains to the impact of climate change. Recognising the complexity and interactions of the ecological and socio-economic factors is essential for building climate resilience in mountain communities and ecosystems upstream and downstream. The course will seek to introduce participants to:
|
|
8. TRAINING STYLE
The modules will be taught through PowerPoint presentations and lectures and will include a case study/field visit, breakout sessions, case studies and other interactive discussion components.
The course will also include a few guest speakers, both in person and via Zoom and other online learning platforms for overseas speakers. This provides useful real-world insights alongside the more theoretical aspects of the course.
The teaching faculty shall consist of experienced decision makers, as well as practitioners and representatives from established educational and research institutions active around climate change, engineering and international development. Throughout the course, theoretical presentations of concepts will be moderated, and more group discussions and plenary engagements will be optimized. PowerPoint presentations will be made by facilitators and resource persons to highlight key concepts before embarking on group work.
9. GENERAL NOTES
- Training manuals and additional reference materials are provided to the participants.
- Upon successful completion of this course, participants will be issued a certificate.
- We can also do this as a tailor-made course to meet organization-wide needs. Contact us to find out more: info@ecasiafrica.org.
- Payment should be sent to our bank account before the start of training, and proof of payment should be sent to: info@ecasiafrica.org.
ABOUT ECAS INSTITUTE
The ECAS Institute designs and delivers independent and targeted training, research, and consulting services. Our work focuses on climate change and resilience building, carbon markets, renewable energy, nature-based solutions, biodiversity conservation, agriculture and food systems. We are located in Nairobi, Kenya and work across the African region. We have implemented training and research assignments in Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, South Sudan, Somalia, Malawi, Rwanda, Congo, and South Africa. Globally, we have supported our partners from the UK, Denmark, Italy, Sweden, Germany, and the USA.