In this Q&A, we talk to Professor Richard Fenner, expert in sustainable infrastructure development. He shares with us his insights into the sustainable process.

What do we mean when we refer to complexity and uncertainty?

We live in a highly interconnected world where the natural and the manmade meet. Actions in one sphere can have unintended and unforeseen consequences elsewhere. For example, a switch to the growth of bio-energy crops in the agriculture sector can create increased demand in the water sector. This increased demand may not be able to be met.

Similarly, impacts created by construction activities can be felt in distant parts of the world where the primary materials are sourced. This can potentially adversely affect the living conditions of the communities who produce them.

Operating within these highly complex systems means infrastructure solutions need to be flexible and adaptable. This is so that they can deal with uncertainties which arise from that complexity. Where infrastructure projects involve unexpected consequences, this is often because of a failure to think, at the early stages, in terms of the whole (interactive) system.

How can infrastructure prepare to meet these challenges?

Infrastructure must be resilient. Resilience in this sense refers to the ability to absorb disturbances while retaining the same basic structure and ways of functioning. That is the capacity for self-organisation and the capacity to adapt to stress and change.

It must also be able to cope with uncertainty over long time scales. This can be achieved by adopting flexible designs that can adjust performance as the future unfolds. It’s also important to have adaptive management that promotes flexible decision-making that can be altered as future events become clearer.

This means keeping several viable solutions open in our infrastructure planning. This is so that when solutions reach capacity and can no longer provide the necessary service delivery, a switch to a different option can be made. This helps to avoid lock-in to a fixed and rigid technical solution which may cease to perform as expected under changing circumstances.

Keen to learn the practical methods behind designing and delivering sustainable infrastructure? Find out more about Professor Fenner’s online course with Cambridge Advance Online(Opens in a new window): http://bit.ly/3ZshdDW