When crises disrupt transport projects, execution halts but development imperatives remain—how do successful projects survive and advance?

This session will explore how the Asian Development Bank and its partners have managed sovereign transport operations under severe disruptions, including pandemics, macroeconomic shocks, and political instability in fragile and conflict-affected situations (FCAS). It will address practical, field-tested approaches that kept projects moving responsibly while protecting people, assets, and development outcomes.

Key topics include contract management tools for crises, (force majeure, extensions of time, suspension, price adjustment, demobilization), maintaining implementation during supply-chain shocks, portfolio management in FCAS contexts, and remote and digital supervision for continuity. The session will highlight stories of impact from the field—what worked, what failed, and why—including perspectives from executing agencies, contractors, and ADB staff.

By the end of the session, participants will:

1. Identify how different types of crises affect transport project implementation and contracts.
2. Gain practical knowledge of contract management tools applicable in crisis situations.
3. Examine concrete lessons from real cases in crisis contexts on project implementation.
4. Recognize do-no-harm and conflict-sensitive approaches in transport operations.
5. Generate ideas for making ADB contracts and procedures more crisis-resilient.