How public transport sector manages climate resilience, mitigation, and adaptation

2023 was the hottest year globally since records began. And with that comes an increased chance of disasters and disruption – floods, droughts, wildfires, earthquakes, hurricanes, and more. In all emergencies, the public transport sector has a key role to play.

In any given year, public transport operators across the world will serve over 4 billion people. That’s a lot of people who not only trust that they will be taken where they need to be, but that they’ll be safe and secure during their journey.

In UITP Asia-Pacific’s webinar on Public Transport in Disruption (Crisis and Peace Time), insights were shared on climate resilience and risk mitigation.

Noraina Mustapha from Prasarana Berhard Malaysia showed how one of Malaysia’s largest public transport companies prepares for emergencies. She outlined three crucial elements of emergency preparedness to mitigate the effects of disasters: accessibility, community support, rapid movement.

In more detail, that means acheving five priorities:

• Ensure passenger safety
• Maintain service continuity
• Minimise economic impact
• Protect infrastructure assets
• Build public trust and confidence

MRT Jakarta is leveraging tech and data to improve business continuity. Their strategy involved the development of data tools for the early detection of crises. That way, MRT can be proactive rather than reactive. Using data tools and risk assessments, MRT took the data from some key indicators in their Disaster Prevention System:

• Rain gauges in all elevated stations to measure rainfall intensity
• An anemometer to measure windspeed in the highest station
• Seismograph to predict earthquakes, located in substations
• Water level indicator in substations

This data is key to informing their actions and interventions.

In Singapore, where LTA has a daily ridership of nearly 4 million, the operator, authority, and whole government work together to strengthen climate resilience. For instance, to be prepared for flooding, all station entrances are built at least 1m above ground level. That’s in addition to barriers at stations at higher risk as well as the placement of sump pumps and provision of flood incident exercises and training.

MTA has great responsibility for the safety of public transport across New York. In fact, the authority covers 75% of the population of the New York City metropolitan area, which totals around 7 million working individuals.

Porie Saikia, previously the Senior Director of Environment, Energy, and Sustainability at MTA and today the Head of Sustainable Strategies at MACE Group, shared insights on when New York’s resilience was tested by things like severe flooding events and storms.

Since the shock of Superstorm Sandy in 2012, which flooded even newly built stations and prompted impromptu flood defences, the city has constructed sea walls and barriers along the coast and around key infrastructure like ventilation buildings. This preparedness requires both large and small scale interventions, like having emergency back-up batteries and water-resistant tunnel lighting cables.

The pandemic, and the collapse in ridership that followed, was another crisis which MTA had to quickly find solutions to.

Building on the webinar, UITP Senior Director Jaspal Singh delivered opening remarks that noted that UITP is launching its first training programme on resiliency and climate impacts in New Jersey, United States, in October 2024.

The webinar featured expert speakers from 4 countries across Asia and North America:

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