Assessing climate-resilient infrastructure design, implementation, and evaluation: A structural equation modeling approach

• This research applies SEM to test conceptual model linking design strategies, implementation processes, evaluation mechanisms, and policy and institutional support to perceived infrastructure resilience. • The SEM-PLS analysis reveals that evaluation mechanisms function as the central construct, exerting substantial positive effects on endogenous variables in the model. • The results suggest that robust evaluation mechanisms serve as fundamental enablers that enhance the effectiveness of design strategies, facilitate implementation processes, strengthen policy frameworks, and improve infrastructure resilience outcomes. Climate change poses unprecedented challenges to infrastructure systems worldwide, necessitating a paradigm shift toward climate-resilient infrastructure. Despite growing recognition of the need for climate-resilient infrastructure, there is limited empirical understanding of how key project-level strategies, such as design practices, implementation processes, perceived infrastructure resilience, and institutional support are influenced by evaluation mechanisms. This study seeks to address this gap by developing and testing a structural equation model (SEM) that explores the relationships between design strategies, implementation processes, evaluation mechanisms, institutional support, and perceived infrastructure resilience. The study employed quantitative approach for data collection. SPSS and SEM were used for data analysis. The SEM-PLS analysis reveals that evaluation mechanisms function as the central construct, exerting substantial positive effects on endogenous variables in the model. Specifically, evaluation mechanisms demonstrate the strongest predictive relationships with design strategies ( β = 0.743, p < 0.001), implementation process ( β = 0.833, p < 0.001), and policy and institutional support ( β = 0.671, p < 0.001), while maintaining a moderate but significant relationship with perceived infrastructure resilience ( β = 0.741, p < 0.001). These findings underscore the critical importance of evaluation and monitoring systems in infrastructure development. These findings provide empirical support for all proposed hypotheses, confirming the central role of evaluation mechanisms in enhancing infrastructure development outcomes. The findings also offer significant practical value for construction companies, particularly those operating in developing countries where climate-resilient infrastructure awareness remains limited.