Climate change is no longer a hypothetical environmental issue, a scarecrow-like proposition, or something to be tackled only when the effects become visible. It has hit every part of the world and impacted all industry segments. It has now become a construction challenge. Rising global temperatures are intensifying El Niño events, triggering prolonged heat waves, droughts, and devastating forest fires across many regions. These changes disrupt material supply chains, reduce labor productivity, increase health and safety risks, and damage critical infrastructure.

 

At the same time, extreme rainfall and flooding are becoming more frequent, demanding greater resilience from the assets we design and build. The construction industry therefore has a dual responsibility: to reduce its own carbon footprint through sustainable materials and practices, and to engineer infrastructure that can withstand a rapidly changing climate.

 

Building for yesterday’s weather is no longer enough; the projects we deliver today must be prepared for the climate of tomorrow. Designs and construction must now factor in more severe environmental exposure, shorter but severe flood events, greater risks of soil erosion, slope failures, and so on. We do not have to wait for changes in code provisions; owners can incorporate these aspects into the design brief.

 

I hope all planners and engineers, particularly those representing asset owners, rise to these challenges.