Integrating Climate Resilience into Construction Project Management: A Global Narrative Review of Frameworks, Policies and Implementation Challenges
Sarah Itohan Aduwa
*
Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Hal Marcus College of Science and Engineering, University of West Florida Pensacola, Florida, USA.
Elijah Kordieh Mensah
Department of Environmental Studies, University of Montana, Missoula, USA.
Abdultawab Ademola Aderibigbe
Department of Real estate and Urban Economics, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA.
Jamiu Lateef
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA.
Iyere Eric Eromosele
Department of Engineering/ industrial Management University of Kansas Overland Park Kansas, USA.
Adeniyi Adebayo
ATCO Electric, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
Enoch Nii-Okai
Mining and Minerals Processing Engineer, Arizona, USA.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Climate change increases the risk of floods, heatwaves, droughts, and sea-level rise for infrastructure investments. These dangers disrupt supplies, delay schedules, and raise costs, demonstrating that standard Construction Project Management (CPM)—focused on cost, scope, and time—must now include climate resilience. However, previous studies have not synthesized how resilience frameworks and policies translate into project management practices, leaving a gap between theory and implementation. This narrative study summarizes global frameworks, policy instruments, and implementation issues in integrating climate resilience into CPM. A structured literature search was conducted across Scopus, Web of Science, ScienceDirect, and Google Scholar using relevant keywords. Thematic analysis identified conceptual frameworks, governance mechanisms, and practice barriers from 2000 to 2025. Four main findings emerged: (1) existing frameworks such as the Sendai Framework, IPCC AR6 pathways, ISO 14090/14091, World Bank CSIF, and FIDIC guidance support adaptive project management; (2) policy deficiencies persist due to weak enforcement and lack of resilience KPIs; (3) barriers include financial disincentives, limited climatic data, and uneven capacity; and (4) emerging best practices suggest lifecycle alignment, digital integration (BIM–GIS–twins), and outcome-based procurement. Integrating resilience throughout the project lifecycle can shift construction management from reactive hardening to proactive, climate-informed infrastructure delivery.
Keywords: Climate change, construction project management, policies, resilience, digital integration