The Analysis of Infrastructure Asset Susceptibility Using High Resolution Climate Projection Modeling

Climate change is a feature of the 21st century. Making sensible choices on how we can adapt to climate hinges on understanding what changes are likely, where they are likely, and when they will start to have a significant impact.

pitt&sherry, a Tasmanian based consultancy, in partnership with the Antarctic Climate and Ecosystems Cooperative Research Centre (ACE CRC), with facilitated inputs from a range of Tasmanian infrastructure managers and planners have developed a climate susceptibility, analysis and communication tool. The spatial software based decision support tool assists owners, managers and planners to use customized cutting edge climate projections to assess the susceptibility of their infrastructure to projected changes in climate at a local scale.

The Climate Futures for Tasmania project completed by ACE CRC generated sophisticated climate projections incorporating Tasmania’s geography and its effect on local climate. By combining engineering expertise to customise the model outputs the project has significantly expanded the knowledge base concerning projected climate changes and potential impacts at local scales for direct application by a range of decision makers.

Integration within a single tool, climate projections and reference and documentation of design standards and codes has enabled rapid communication to planners and policy makers answers to the following questions:- - What does the latest cutting edge research tell us about specific local projected changes in climate? and, - How will that impact our existing or planned future infrastructure?

Examples are presented of practical application of the decision support tool, ClimateAsyst, to provide climate change impact analysis to assist planning and policy responses.