General Context & Research Question
Will the 2026 El Niño evolve into a super El Niño? Will next summer’s heatwaves become truly unforgettable, making 2026 the hottest year ever recorded? And will the extreme hydrological events of the coming ten months partially damage our ageing infrastructure in Western Europe? Although future observations will confirm these trends, current evidence already indicates a clear intensification of extreme events. The rise in extreme weather events is one of the most visible consequences of undeniable climate change.
In parallel, in Western Europe, major infrastructure megaprojects have emerged since the beginning of the 21st century, while others—often even more complex—are currently in the design or construction phase. To what extent are DB(F)M‑type infrastructure megaprojects in Europe prepared to integrate natural hazards amplified by climate change, and how does this influence their costs, insurance mechanisms and resilience strategies?
In this context of climate change and large construction megaprojects, are the main stakeholders of DB(F)M‑type projects sufficiently aware, informed and guided to face the challenges of the coming decades?
This work focuses on a review of the literature on the subject, including definitions, the identification of natural hazards and the different types of insurance.
A substantial part of the study then examines the Euralpin Lyon–Turin Tunnel (TELT) project, with a presentation of the project itself, including a package worth more than €3 billion currently in procurement, and its resilience to natural hazards. In a structured manner, numerous links and applications of theoretical notions from this Executive Master will be connected to the TELT project.
Finally, as a concrete output of this work, an informative flowchart summarising most of the topics addressed is produced. This flowchart is intended to provide basic knowledge, past experience and decision support for the various stakeholders. The idea is to eventually transpose it into a website or application to make it more practical and to support knowledge sharing