Resilient Transport: Opportunities and Challenges for Climate-Adapted Transport Infrastructure in China and Africa

Webinar series under the project of Africa–China climate adaptation knowledge exchange

Online, Global

18 August 2025, 10:00 CET

This session aims to explore how cities and regions in China and Africa can enhance the resilience of their transport and railway infrastructure in the face of rapid urbanization and intensifying climate risks.

Event description

Global Center on Adaptation China Office (GCA China), in collaboration with the Environmental Development Center (EDC) of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment and the National Center for Climate Change Strategy and International Cooperation (NCSC), will organize three online webinars under the project of China-Africa Knowledge Exchange. These events will focus on integrating climate resilience into infrastructure.

The second webinar, “Resilient Transport: Opportunities and Challenges for Climate-Adapted Transport Infrastructure in China and Africa.” This session aims to explore how cities and regions in China and Africa can enhance the resilience of their transport and railway infrastructure in the face of rapid urbanization and intensifying climate risks. Discussions will examine the risks faced by urban and regional transport networks—including railways, roads, and transit hubs—under extreme weather events such as floods, heatwaves, and storms. The session will highlight innovative practices and policy instruments related to climate-resilient design, smart transport systems, and green mobility solutions. Urban planners, transport engineers, technology enterprises, financial institutions, and railway authorities will be invited to jointly discuss potential areas and directions for collaboration at the intersection of resilient transport infrastructure and climate adaptation in Chinese and African contexts.

AGENDA
The webinar will be held online, 2 hours of each, with participants able to pre-register and join via Zoom. The events will start with a brief introduction by the Moderator.  Following that are four presentations (each speech 15 minutes). Following each presentation, there will be a 10-minute Q&A session for attendees to ask questions about topics covered in the talks, facilitating idea-sharing and exchange of information. Finally, the moderator will provide a summary as a closing of the event (10 minutes). The event will be in English and provide live interpretation in English and Chinese. The key findings and outcomes from the roundtable series will be consolidated into a report or a series of articles, which will be published on the official website as a resource for interested stakeholders.

Key objectives:

  • Strengthen Knowledge Exchange: Connect experts, industry stakeholders, and policymakers from China and Africa to facilitate the sharing of knowledge, best practices, and local experiences in climate-resilient infrastructure.
  • Advance Policy and Technical Innovation: Promote the development of effective policies, innovative solutions, and case studies to inform practical application and support resilient infrastructure planning.
  • Promote Collaboration and Investment: Encourage diverse partnerships and mobilize investment, particularly in nature-based solutions, to strengthen China-Africa cooperation on climate adaptation.
  • Build Adaptive Capacity: Enhance the ability of infrastructure systems in China and Africa to anticipate, withstand, and adapt to climate risks through targeted collaboration and knowledge sharing.