Originally published in Executive Digest in Portuguese,  this article by Antónia Lopes, Senior Business Manager at agap2 Indústria, explores the critical intersection between infrastructure and climate reality. Following a series of devastating storms in Portugal. Read it bellow.

In recent weeks, Portugal has been severely hit by a series of storms that swept across the territory, causing damage to individuals, businesses, and public infrastructure from north to south.

Climate change has been at the forefront of the global agenda, but today, more than ever in Portugal, we question the limits of what we have and what we could possess or achieve. We have lost vital infrastructure, natural resources, and assets that will take years to recover. Is our Engineering up to date? Where do the challenges lie for Portuguese engineers to better confront climate change?

Regarding nature, our soils have limits when it comes to water drainage. This can cause flooding, erosion, or corrosion and, consequently, material damage that can jeopardize our infrastructure and buildings. One solution already being implemented is in Lisbon. The city invested in the General Drainage Plan (2016-2030), constructing a network of underground collector tunnels and creating retention basins to temporarily hold water. This investment is yielding positive results for the Portuguese capital. Tokyo and other international urban centers are also benefiting from similar approaches. However, this initiative presents certain limitations for rural areas. How can we circumvent this?

The aging of our infrastructure is also at stake, as many roads, railway lines, and public utilities were built decades ago and have suffered, over time, from damage such as cracks, infiltrations, and lack of insulation that remained unresolved until now. This damage is part of our infrastructure but should have been addressed long before serious problems occurred. Extraordinary circumstances like those of recent weeks could have been avoided—such as the closure of the A1 in Coimbra, Portugal’s main highway, or the temporary shutdown of railway lines due to flooding and severe damage.

Another issue related to infrastructure is the distribution network for electricity, telecommunications, and water supply. Many of these systems are located in suburban and rural areas, either buried or in overhead networks, vulnerable to wind and water. Although these systems are planned to provide services safely and effectively, in any critical situation, it is uncertain whether the existing execution can sufficiently respond to these anomalous weather events or other constraints. Do you remember the "blackout" of April 2025, when electrical systems collapsed and we couldn't do anything, from turning on the lights to paying at grocery stores? Unfortunately, there is an interdependence between networks: electricity powers water pumps and telecommunications. This leads us to question the monitoring of smart grids and water security, the resilience of data centers, as well as the positioning and quality of these networks.

To conclude, engineering challenges have always been numerous, but looking to the future, those arising from climate change are arguably the most important! All fields of engineering are attentive to this issue and ready to invest in R&D to develop more sustainable and resilient materials, processes, and networks. They are available to provide practical support on the ground and to better anticipate unforeseen events.

More than just reacting, we need to be prepared for the increasingly frequent consequences of climate change. Across the planet, governments must encourage companies to be part of this movement, creating more sustainable economies and countries that bring safety to citizens' lives.

‍