Transportation System-Level Resilience Symposium
Friday, 12 September, 9:00 AM – 4:30 PM
FEDEX Building, University of Memphis
This event is being held independently of Smart Rivers 2025. Separate registration for this free event is required.
Transport modes are interconnected. The transportation network is only as resilient as its weakest link. A port can make itself into a fortress, but if road or rail connections are out of action, it cannot operate effectively. Extreme weather events and other system shocks are impacting mobility and disrupting supply chains with increasing frequency. Strengthening preparedness is vital, not only at mode level, but at system level.
18 months ago, at a symposium in Buenos Aires, PIANC’s Permanent Task Group on Climate Change (PTGCC) partnered with PIARC (the World Road Association) and UIC (the International Union of Railways) to kick start a dialogue aimed at improving awareness of the need for cross-modal resilience. These discussions led to the formation of an international Task Force on Transport System Resilience, also now involving aviation and public transport associations.
The latest step on the Task Force’s journey is the organization of a hybrid symposium in Memphis on 12 September, immediately after Smart Rivers 2025. This symposium will explore the challenges of ensuring transport system-level resilience, and some of the evolving solutions. Round out your Smart Rivers 2025 experience by joining the Task Force on Transport System Resilience as they bring together international and North American regional experts to:
- Raise awareness of transport system interdependencies and the need for resilient, cross-modal solutions
- Highlight the potential consequences of inaction and a lack of preparedness
- Disseminate good practice case studies, both within modes and across modes
- Identify potential gaps in knowledge and research needs
- Facilitate collective action, continued discussion and knowledge exchange
Please find more details about the event, including confirmed speakers and a link to register for the symposium, in the event flyer.
