ReCAP releases key Climate Adaptation Handbook and associated Guidelines for Low Volume Roads

ReCAP is proud to release the Climate Adaptation Handbook and the four associated Guidelines for Low Volume Roads, covering Change Management, Risk and Vulnerability Assessment, Engineering Adaptations and Visual Assessment. 

The Handbook and Guidelines are the outcome of a 32-month research project, conducted by a consortium led by the South African Council for Scientific Research (CSIR), that aimed to promote climate-resilient rural access in Africa through research and knowledge-sharing within and between the participating countries.

Based on a full needs assessment, the consortium has carried out research into appropriate and economic methodologies for vulnerability and risk assessments; prioritisation of adaptation interventions and optimisation of asset resilience in the context of rural access. In addition, the project provides preliminary (headline) evidence of cost, economic and social benefit links to rural communities arising from more resilient rural access to support wider policy adoption across Africa, but further work will be required to quantify it for specific situations.

Based on the research findings, the Handbook has been developed for national and local roads authorities to address climate adaptation for their road networks in a structured and practical manner. It covers a wide range of climatic, geomorphologic and hydrological circumstances, based on application to Mozambique, Ghana and Ethiopia, but equally applicable to any Sub-Saharan African country. The documents have been produced for low volume roads, but the principles also apply to high volume roads, although there will be differing priorities and design parameters. The Handbook is supported by a set of technical guidelines and manuals. 

You can download your copies of the Handbook and guidelines from the Climate Adaptation webpage. 

The project has furthermore  prepared a series of Briefing Notes that address the theme of Climate Adaptation for rural road networks from a policy and management point of view, available for download from the same link.