A Scientometric Knowledge Mapping of Climate-induced Road and Pavement Deterioration in South Africa

  • Nura Shehu Aliyu Yaro Durban University of Technology, Durban, South Africa
  • Jacob Adedayo Adedeji Durban University of Technology, Durban, South Africa
  • Ashiru Mohammed Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria 810107, Nigeria
  • Zesizwe Ngubane Durban University of Technology, Durban, South Africa
DOI: https://doi.org/10.31075/PIS.72.01.01
Keywords: Pavement deterioration, Climate change, Road infrastructure, Scientometric analysis

Abstract

One of the key challenges in the South African construction industry is road and pavement deterioration driven by harsh climatic conditions, particularly heavy rainfall and flooding, which adversely affect both infrastructure performance and road users.While this area needs further studies, the extent of the research is still unmapped. Consequently, this article employs a scientometric analysis to critically visualise the research trends and examines the body of research on climate-induced road and pavement deterioration in South Africa. The Scopus database was utilised to retrieve publication from 2000 to 2025. The research literature retrieved was then analysed using VOSviewer to identify the trends, research clusters, emerging thematic areas, and future directions. The findings demonstrated a steady increase in research activity with literature on flooding, climate change, and risk assessment. The top 5 keywords in this field of study were discovered to be South Africa, rainfall, floods, roads and streets, and flooding. The study also discovered that major areas like the Western Cape and KwaZulu-Natal, particularly Durban, are prominent regions severely affected by climate change. As a result, extreme weather events like floods and heavy rainfall have seriously damaged roads and infrastructure. Also, key publication sources were found to be Water (Switzerland) and Water SA. This review offers a knowledge roadmap to support additional research and emphasises the need for awareness and sustainable practices to improve resilience in South Africa's roads and flood management frameworks by incorporating quantitative findings into ongoing research.

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Published
2026-03-21
How to Cite
Yaro, N. S. A., Adedeji, J., Mohammed, A., & Ngubane, Z. (2026). A Scientometric Knowledge Mapping of Climate-induced Road and Pavement Deterioration in South Africa. Journal of Road and Traffic Engineering, 72(1), 1-8. https://doi.org/10.31075/PIS.72.01.01
Issue
Vol 72 No 1 (2026): Journal of Road and Traffic Engineering
Section
Articles

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