Climate Change Adaptation of Geo-Structures in Europe: Emerging Issues and Future Steps

Abstract

Climate change is already being felt in Europe, unequivocally affecting the regions’ geo-structures. Concern over this is rising, as reflected in the increasing number of studies on the subject. However, the majority of these studies focused only on slopes and on a limited geographical scope. In this paper, we attempted to provide a broader picture of potential climate change impacts on the geo-structures in Europe by gathering the collective view of geo-engineers and geo-scientists in several countries, and by considering different geo-structure types. We also investigated how geo-structural concerns are being addressed in national adaptation plans. We found that specific provisions for geo-structural adaptation are generally lacking and mainly come in the form of strategies for specific problems. In this regard, two common strategies are hazard/risk assessment and monitoring, which are mainly implemented in relation to slope stability. We recommend that in future steps, other geo-structures are likewise given attention, particularly those assessed as also potentially significantly affected by climate change. Countries considered in this study are mainly the member countries of the European Large Geotechnical Institutes Platform (ELGIP).

Modelling Water Erosion and Mass Movements (Wet) by Using GIS-Based Multi-Hazard Susceptibility Assessment Approaches: A Case Study—Kratovska Reka Catchment (North Macedonia)

“…The results of this work contribute to the growing evidence of erosion risk in southeast Europe [22], shedding light on the specific challenges and vulnerabilities within the Kratovska Reka catchment in North Macedonia. The identification and assessment of erosion risk in this part of the region provide valuable information for understanding the broader patterns and dynamics of erosion processes in southeast Europe [25][26][27]. The findings can be used as a foundation for further research and refinements in erosion risk assessment methodologies, including the incorporation of additional factors, validation techniques, and improved modelling approaches [55][56][57][58][59][60].…”

“…The severity of economic damage can be illustrated by the reported loss of over EUR 433 billion for the period 1980-2015 in the European Economic Area [24]. With an evidently increasing number of extreme weather events induced by climate change, hydro-meteorological hazards have emerged as a high-impact risk, especially in Europe [25][26][27]. Contemporary research in the field [24] has presented unfortunate facts related to hydro-meteorological hazards in Europe.…”

Soil water retention curve of silty sand – experimental investigation using different laboratory methods

“…When designing earth structures like embankments, dams, dykes, and shallow foundations, unsaturated soil mechanics play an important role. Especially, nowadays when climatic events are changing very rapidly, understanding soil-water interactions, poses one of the challenges as it is affecting the durability and performance of geo-structures [1,2]. In this regard, unsaturated soil mechanics can play a key role in terms of proposing new approaches to designing geo-structures resilient to severe climatic events.…”

A new real-time debris flow and avalanches detection system based on optical fiber sensing

“…In this sense, adaptation, i.e. the process of adjusting in response to current or expected climate change and effects, with the aim to reduce exposure and vulnerability to climate variability [5], is a fundamental strategy for reducing and managing the risks of climate change impacts on slopes and, more broadly, on all geostructures.…”