The Changing Landscape: Impact of Climate Cange on Construction Sector
Climate change is not a distant threat but a reality that is reshaping the world around us. Of all the affects it has, the building industry is one of the most severely affected. As the construction industry navigates the changing climate scenario, it faces several opportunities and problems that has direct impacts on the social, environmental as well as the economic sector.
The technical effects of climate risks at the building level are multifaceted and impact both the functional value (building services) and structural integrity (safety) of buildings. These effects have important social implications in addition to their technical ones, especially for the Real Estate, Building, and Construction (RBC) sectors. They emphasise how the costs and duties are spread along the whole value chain, from building to managing and maintaining it. Moreover, they affect society at large, disrupting activities and potentially necessitating long-term relocations from highly vulnerable areas.
The need for climate-resilient infrastructure and building practices is not just a matter of physical safety and economic efficiency, but also a crucial aspect of societal well-being and sustainability.
Examining the Multifaceted Impact of Climate Change
The effects of climate change are not perceived equally by people, in nations, or around the world. The main causes of this disparity in climate change effects are differences in social, political, economic, and geographic aspects. The uneven effects of climate change draw attention to environmental justice concerns and pose serious questions regarding community and national adaptability, resilience, and susceptibility. These uneven effects have the following salient features:
- Geographic Vulnerabilities:
- Low-lying and Island Nations face risks of sea-level rise, leading to flooding and population displacement.
- Arid and Semi-arid Regions experience exacerbated water scarcity, impacting agriculture and food security.
- High Latitude Regions, like the Arctic, are witnessing rapid warming, threatening ecosystems and indigenous communities.
- Economic Inequalities:
- Developing vs. Developed Nations: Developing countries lack resources to cope with climate change, increasing vulnerability to disasters and food shortages.
- Agriculture-dependent Economies face heightened susceptibility to economic shocks due to climate variability.
- Social and Demographic Factors:
- Marginalized Communities, including indigenous peoples and minorities, lack resources to adapt to climate change.
- Gender Inequality exposes women, particularly in developing countries, to disproportionate risks from climate-related impacts.
- Health Impacts:
- Climate change affects disease spread, with vulnerable populations facing increased risks of infectious diseases and heat-related illnesses.
- Migration and Displacement:
- Climate change drives forced migration due to sea-level rise, extreme weather events, and deteriorating environments, leading to humanitarian crises.
- Policy and Institutional Responses:
- Inadequate Response: Countries with weak governance struggle to implement effective climate policies and adaptation measures.
Environmental Impacts of Climate Change on the buildings and effects on occupants:
Impacts of Climate change on Construction Sector
The effects of climate change on buildings are extensive and can take many different forms. Here is a summary that includes some statistical insights and highlights the impact.
Climate Impacts
Understanding the potential adverse effects of climate change involves examining how a system’s exposure to physical climate hazards relates to the likelihood of negative impacts linked to its climate vulnerability, as outlined by the IPCC. Enhancing adaptive capacity and bolstering ecological, social, and economic resilience are crucial strategies for minimizing climate hazards.
The table below explains the impacts of direct and indirect risks of climate hazards. Direct risks depend directly on the climate variables. Indirect risk depends also on the local geophysical context which may mitigate or aggravate the risk.
Climate change risks can be categorized into two main types:
- Physical Impacts
- Transitional Impacts
Each impact presents unique consequences and challenges for various sectors.
- Physical Impacts
Addressing these issues requires proactive planning, investment in resilient infrastructure, and concerted efforts to mitigate and adapt to changing environmental conditions. By prioritizing sustainable practices, embracing innovative solutions, and fostering collaboration across sectors, we can better safeguard our communities, infrastructure, and natural resources for generations to come.
List of Physical Impacts on the construction sector are:
- Increased Heat Stress: Higher temperatures strain building materials and cooling systems, leading to a 20% surge in electricity demand for cooling in the past decade.
- Surging Cooling Demand: Every 1°C rise in temperature increases the need for cooling by 10%, particularly in regions prone to heatwaves.
- Flood Risks: By 2050, $158 trillion in assets, including urban buildings, will be threatened by flooding, exacerbating risks for real estate.
- Wildfire Threat: More frequent and intense wildfires threaten real estate viability in fire-prone areas, impacting property values and insurance costs.
- Storm and Wind Damage: Doubling of major hurricanes over the past 40 years disrupts coastal buildings, leading to high repair costs and insurance premiums.
- Drought and Water Scarcity: Water scarcity affects property aesthetics and practicality, impacting landscaping and agricultural practices.
- Deterioration Due to Humidity: Increased humidity accelerates corrosion of building materials by up to 50%, posing durability challenges.
- Sea-Level Rise: Coastal buildings face greater risk with a projected sea-level rise of up to 0.6 meters by 2100, affecting over 800 million people.
- Worksite Safety: Climate-induced rain, flooding, and extreme temperatures pose hazards like erosion, slippery surfaces, and heat-related illnesses for construction workers, increasing accident risks.
- Transitional Impacts
Transition climate risks entail potential shifts in regulatory environments and public policies, driven by technological advancements and market forces in response to climate change. These changes aim to mitigate or adapt sectors like Real Estate, Building, and Construction (RBC), as well as the land use industry, to reduce physical risks linked with climate change.
Types of Transitional Risk:
- Infrastructure Pressure: Climate change strains infrastructure networks, causing more frequent power outages due to increased energy demand for cooling in summers.
- Adaptation Expenses: Adapting buildings to climate change is costly. Investing $1.8 trillion globally from 2020 to 2030 in building resilience could yield $7.1 trillion in total benefits.
- Insurance and Property: Climate risks hike insurance premiums by over 25% in vulnerable areas, affecting property values and marketability.
- Skilled Labor Demand: Coping with extreme weather requires skilled workers, exacerbating existing labour shortages and intensifying industry pressures.
- Regulatory Challenges: Stricter regulations to combat climate change could result in legal penalties, decreased market value, and costly retrofits for non-compliant properties.
- Shifting Markets: Climate-induced population shifts may decrease demand and property values in high-risk areas while increasing demand in safer regions
The construction industry faces a variety of obstacles because of climate change, from physical risks like harsh weather and failing infrastructure to transitional risks like changing markets and regulatory obstacles. These issues interact with social, economic, and geographic vulnerabilities, highlighting the pressing need for comprehensive governmental responses and resilience-building initiatives. Addressing these obstacles, there are plenty of chances for creativity and teamwork, providing a route towards sustainable growth and infrastructure that is adaptable to climate change. The construction sector can significantly contribute to the development of a more resilient and sustainable future for communities around the world by giving climate adaptation and mitigation measures top priority.
