Extreme weather is forcing airports to adapt to climate change

Airports around the world are relocating sensitive electrical equipment to rooftops to protect it from flooding.

The rise in sea level alone means airports may have to spend $57 billion to maintain current risk levels by the end of the century .

In Alaska , melting permafrost is forcing fortification of runways, while in Europe , contractors are studying building materials that allow runways to handle bigger temperatures swings.

Urgency is building in the aviation industry to adjust to climate change, according to a Eurocontrol report.

Eurocontrol urged airports and airlines to adapt and become more resilient now.

Runways can expand and crack when exposed to vast temperature swings that are becoming more common, particularly when they were initially conceived to withstand narrower temperature ranges.