Thailand’s transport systems are increasingly vulnerable to climate-related disasters such as storm surges, flash floods and heatwaves, which damage roads, railways and ports. These impacts not only disrupt travel but also cause economic losses and threaten people’s quality of life.

On 9 and 16 July 2025, GIZ Thailand, through the Integrated Urban Climate Action for Low-Carbon & Resilient Cities (Urban-Act) Project in partnership with the Office of Transport and Traffic Policy and Planning (OTP), conducted foundational training entitled ‘Building Resilience in the Transport Sector under Climate Change’. Participants from 15 agencies under the Ministry of Transport, as well as stakeholders from the Department of Public Works and Town & Country Planning (DPT), the Office of Natural Resources and Environmental Policy and Planning (ONEP), the Thai Meteorological Department (TMD), and the Department of Climate Change and Environment (DCCE), joined the sessions.

The training was aimed at enhancing government capacity and fostering collaboration among relevant sectors in integrating climate adaptation into transport planning and infrastructure development by focusing on equipping participants with knowledge and tools to support the development of climate-resilient transport infrastructure (CRTI). The content covered key concepts in climate adaptation, risk assessment, impact chains and policy integration. Participants also engaged in designing policy frameworks and adaptation measures for the transport sector through a board game activity.

All of this addresses a critical question: Why is adaptation no longer an option, but rather, an urgent necessity?

Why climate-resilient transport matters

Chutinthorn Mankong, Director of the Safety Planning Bureau at OTP, underscored this in her opening remarks: “Flash floods caused by continuous heavy rainfall is now affecting several provinces in northern, southern and north-eastern Thailand. Major roads and railway lines have been damaged, disrupting travel and logistics. These events are no longer rare. They are a clear sign that climate change is happening – and we must be prepared.”

Dr Dominika Kalinowska, Director of the GIZ Transport Programme for Thailand, echoed this concern: “Transport is the lifeblood of a country – connecting people, goods, services and economic activities. Climate resilience in this sector is not just a technical necessity but a strategic investment to protect economic activity and public services.”

From weather to climate crisis: When the world heats up beyond control

The training started with a session entitled ‘Adaptation 101’, designed to establish a foundational understanding of key concepts related to climate adaptation. For example, the key difference between weather and climate lies in the time scale.

While ‘weather’ refers to atmospheric conditions at a particular time in a particular location, including temperature, humidity, precipitation, cloudiness, wind and visibility. The weather in one region will eventually affect the weather hundreds or thousands of kilometres away. ‘Climate’ is the average of weather patterns in a specific area over a longer period of time, typically 30 years or more, representing the overall state of the climate systems (UNDP, 2023).

Global warming, driven by greenhouse gases, is causing climate change, which leads to more frequent and severe weather events. This includes melting ice, rising sea levels and various disasters that impact people around the globe. Despite efforts to limit the global temperature rise to no more than 1.5° Celsius (which is the critical goal of the Paris Agreement), the world is currently nearing this threshold. If temperatures increase by 2° Celsius, the consequences will be severe and irreversible. These impacts may include the near-total loss of coral reefs and millions of people facing water shortages and increasingly extreme heatwaves.

How climate change hits transport systems

Climate change has tangible effects on essential transport services, resulting in several key impacts:

• Floods and Storms: More intense rainfall and powerful storms are damaging roads, bridges and railway lines, leading to shutdowns and costly repairs.
• Extreme Heat: High temperatures can cause asphalt on roads to soften and railway tracks to buckle, creating safety hazards.
• Sea-Level Rise: Coastal roads and ports are increasingly threatened by flooding and erosion.
• Drought: Reduced water levels in rivers can disrupt the transport of goods by boat.

These impacts not only make our daily lives increasingly difficult but also lead to economic losses, delays in supply chains and threats to public safety.

Understanding the ‘Climate Change Impact Chain’ for proactive planning

The conceptual framework of impacts, adaptation, and vulnerability, proposed by the IPCC WGII – AR 6; Source: IPCC Sixth Assessment Report 2022: Impacts, Adaptation, and Vulnerability

A new approach, known as a ‘Climate Change Impact Chain’, enables experts and policymakers to connect the dots, tracing how a single climate-related event can lead to a series of cascading effects, resulting in broad social and economic consequences. This framework is divided into four main stages:

1. Hazard is the initial climate event itself. In Thailand, the most common hazards are floods, droughts, tropical storms, sea-level rise and extreme heat.
2. Exposure refers to people, buildings, assets, systems or any elements located in hazard-prone areas that may be affected or damaged (IPCC, 2014).
3. Vulnerability refers to the degree of risk that people or infrastructure exposed to hazards may suffer damage. For example, low-lying roads are more prone to flooding than elevated roads. Communities with limited resources – such as those without budgets for road maintenance or without diverse transport options – lack the capacity to travel during disasters. Weak or inflexible infrastructure further increases vulnerability, as the ability to cope with and adapt to hazards is reduced.
4. Impact and Risk refers to the chain of consequences that occurs when various factors combine. For example, if a coastal road in a seaside province is flooded (hazard and exposure) and its structure is weak (vulnerability), the immediate impact is damage to the road. However, the effects do not end there; this situation may trigger further consequences, such as disruptions in transport, halted delivery of goods and services or a decline in tourism activity. Altogether, these factors can result in significant economic risks at the regional level.

Thailand’s resilient transport infrastructure in action
Dr Nuwong Chollacoop, Director of the Low Carbon Energy Research Group at the National Energy Technology Center (ENTEC) emphasised that developing Thailand’s transport infrastructure requires integrating climate risk assessments from the initial design stage. Adaptation not only benefits the environment but also creates long-term economic value. He also highlighted case studies of adaptation investments in Thailand’s transport sector that have already been initiated, such as:

• Investments in flood adaptation measures for highways – such as using cape seal pavement surfacing and elevating roads in flood-prone areas – which may appear costly at first. However, they can deliver enormous returns (up to 11 times the initial investment) by reducing damage, maintaining uninterrupted travel and preserving economic connectivity.
• Improvement of the northern railway line: although it incurred high initial costs, it has demonstrated its economic value in the long run. It has reduced reliance on alternative transport systems during periods of disruption or damage.
• Integrated urban measures are being implemented at the local level, e.g., the Urban-Act project in Phuket includes initiatives such as expanding public transport systems, promoting electric vehicle usage and upgrading the power grid to meet increasing demand.

Mitigation vs. Adaptation: Two sides of the same coin
In response to climate change, there are two main measures.

Mitigation refers to any actions taken to reduce or prevent greenhouse gas emissions, or to enhance carbon sinks that remove these gases from the atmosphere. By contrast, adaptation refers to actions that help reduce vulnerability to the current or expected impacts of climate change like weather extremes and natural disasters, sea-level rise, biodiversity loss, or food and water insecurity.

Both measures must move forward hand in hand, as they address different facets of the issue. Transitioning to renewable energy and electric vehicles is an effective way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the transport sector. At the same time, strengthening the resilience of transport infrastructure goes beyond simply building stronger and more resilient roads or railways; it also involves safeguarding livelihoods, connecting communities, and driving sustainable development in a rapidly changing world.

Stay tuned for further insights through approaches to designing policy frameworks and adaptation measures.