Climate Resilient and Sustainable Infrastructures: Geotechnical Challenges of Problematic Soils in Nigeria

Abstract

Climate change adaptation and sustainable infrastructure development are important in Nigeria due to different climate zones and poor soil types like expansive clays, laterite and peat grounds. The review highlights the necessity of incorporating climate change adaptation into infrastructure development processes to minimise the potential impacts of direct climate change phenomena, including extreme rainfall, flood, and temperature. It emphasises the importance of geotechnical engineering in tackling such challenges and advancing tools and frameworks required for constructing structures that successfully counter the undesirable soil responses caused by climate change. The review used literature search methods and data synthesis to identify empirical works that explore the geotechnical problems associated with Nigeria's problematic soils and their effects on infrastructures’ durability. It organises results according to soil categories and introduces new geotechnical interventions, emphasizing chemical and mechanical stabilization methods to improve overall structural resilience. It also touches on some areas of policy and regulation that need reform in Nigeria to provide broader guidelines for geotechnical investigations and the adoption of new materials for construction. The manuscript concludes with policy implications and recommendations for implementing and developing solutions for climate-resilient infrastructure in Nigeria against climate change unpredictability concerning socio-economic activities and human life.