Questão de Inglês — compreensão de texto e estratégias de leitura

Roads were designed for the climate of the past. Engineers calculated drainage capacity, pavement materials and bridge foundations based on decades of historical weather records, assuming that the future would look much like what had come before. That assumption is increasingly being called into question.

Heavier downpours are overwhelming culverts and drainage channels, causing flash floods that wash away sections of road and undermine embankments. In mountainous areas, saturated slopes give way, burying highways under tonnes of mud and rock. At the other extreme, prolonged heatwaves soften asphalt, leading to ruts and cracks, while wildfires force the closure of entire corridors for days.

The costs go well beyond repairs. When a key highway is cut off, communities may lose access to hospitals, food deliveries and fuel, and businesses that depend on just-in-time supplies can grind to a halt. Emergency services, meanwhile, struggle to reach those most in need.

Transport agencies are beginning to adapt. Some are raising road levels in flood-prone areas, enlarging drainage structures and using heat-resistant binders in asphalt. Others are installing sensors on slopes and bridges to detect movement before a collapse. Such measures are expensive, but studies commissioned by public bodies often conclude that every unit of currency invested in resilience saves several in future damage.

Even so, adaptation alone will not be enough if global emissions keep rising. Climate scientists stress that infrastructure built today will still be in use decades from now, when conditions may be considerably harsher than anything recorded so far.