UK infrastructure resilience standards
In an era increasingly shaped by digital technologies and the mounting effects of climate change, the resilience of critical infrastructure has become a national priority. A new report by the National Infrastructure Commission (NIC) has once again highlighted the urgent need for the UK government to establish clear resilience standards for infrastructure operators. These standards will play a crucial role in safeguarding essential services from the escalating risks posed by environmental and technological disruptions.
The Growing Threats to Infrastructure
The report identifies two major threats underscoring the importance of resilience: climate change and digital dependency. Climate-related events such as floods, storms, and rising temperatures are placing unprecedented stress on the UK’s energy, water, transport, and telecommunications networks. Simultaneously, the increasing reliance on digital systems to operate and manage these networks introduces new vulnerabilities, such as cyberattacks, technical failures, and other operational shocks.
This convergence of risks has raised concerns about the UK’s capacity to maintain critical services during prolonged disruptions. The NIC report calls for the government to set clear resilience standards that infrastructure operators must follow. These standards would ensure essential services remain operational even during crises, providing the public with confidence in the reliability of their infrastructure.
The Need for Consistent Standards Across Sectors
A key finding of the report is the inconsistency of resilience standards across different sectors, particularly in private telecommunications networks that serve critical national infrastructure. The NIC stresses the need for the government to evaluate whether current regulations are robust enough to address the challenges ahead.
In the energy, transport, and water sectors, the report emphasizes the importance of implementing forward-looking asset health standards. These standards should consider future risks, including those amplified by climate change, such as the gradual deterioration of infrastructure over time. By proactively addressing these vulnerabilities, the UK can mitigate future failures in essential services.
Water Supply and Transport: Specific Concerns
The report also highlights specific gaps in existing resilience standards, particularly in the water supply sector. Currently, there is limited guidance on the number of consumers that can rely on a single water asset or how much water companies need to treat and supply during periods of peak demand. These gaps expose the water supply system to sudden shocks, such as equipment failures or extreme weather events.
In the transport sector, the NIC advocates for a “key route strategy” that recognizes the interconnected nature of the UK’s road and rail networks. The report suggests that if one mode of transport is disrupted, the other may struggle to absorb the additional traffic. By planning for such contingencies, the UK can minimize the risk of prolonged transport disruptions.
The Role of the Government and Regulators
The NIC calls on the government to adopt a systematic approach to establishing resilience standards, ensuring they are embedded in price control frameworks for regulated sectors. However, this process must carefully balance the trade-offs between enhancing resilience and managing costs for consumers. Achieving 100% resilience, while ideal, may come at a financial cost that the public might find difficult to accept.
To address the interdependencies among various infrastructure sectors, the report recommends that the Cabinet Office play a coordinating role in managing cross-sector risks. This would help infrastructure operators understand how vulnerabilities in one sector could cascade into others, reducing the likelihood of widespread failures.
The Path Ahead
Building on the recommendations of the second National Infrastructure Assessment, the NIC urges the government to act swiftly, with full resilience standards for digital, energy, transport, and water services to be published by 2025. These standards should be reviewed every five years to ensure they remain relevant and effective.
Additionally, regulators must ensure that future regulatory settlements align with these resilience standards and that a system of cross-sector stress testing is introduced. This would help identify and mitigate the risks of interdependent failures across critical infrastructure systems.
Conclusion
As the UK faces increasingly complex risks—both environmental and technological—the resilience of its infrastructure is more critical than ever. Setting clear and consistent resilience standards is not only about preventing service disruptions but also about preparing for an uncertain future. By acting now, the government and infrastructure operators can ensure that vital services continue to function in the face of sudden shocks, protecting both the public and the economy.
The NIC report offers a crucial roadmap for this process, however, timely and coordinated action will be essential to turning these recommendations into reality. The future of the UK’s infrastructure, and its ability to withstand the challenges ahead, depends on it.
Sources
https://nic.org.uk/news/clearer-standards-needed-to-boost-economys-resilience/
https://nic.org.uk/app/uploads/NIC-Resilience-Standards-Report-Final-190924.pdf