Transport infrastructure plays a vital role in the economy of the Solomon Islands, contributing approximately 13% to Gross Domestic Product. The Ministry of Infrastructure Development (MID) is mandated to provide and manage infrastructure and transport services throughout the Solomon Islands and has primary responsibility for roads, wharves and airstrips.
Recent weather events have highlighted vulnerabilities to some aspects of our transport network. Increasingly, risks to transport infrastructure and the services it provides will be impacted by projected changes to climate. For example, our coastal roads are expected to be increasingly subject to coastal erosion from higher sea-levels, and projected increases in extreme rainfall will have substantial implications for the flood immunity of some of our bridges and the effectiveness of drainage infrastructure.
The future climate will remain uncertain. However, this does not mean that climate change cannot be ignored. This uncertainty will need to be actively managed. This Guidance Manual represents the first systematic approach to integrate climate change into the design and development of transport infrastructure across the country.
