July 2019 – It’s Time for More Resilient Infrastructure: Reducing Risk Through Adaptation

July 2019 – It’s Time for More Resilient Infrastructure: Reducing Risk Through Adaptation

Our nation’s infrastructure faces increasing risks from extreme weather and other changes to climatic conditions. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has identified 16 critical infrastructure systems that are essential to our security and economic prosperity. These systems depend on various physical facilities and assets to provide a range of essential services like energy, clean water, transportation, and communication. Examples of essential assets include roads, bridges, power plants, electrical transmission lines, water treatment plants, and communication towers, all of which are potentially vulnerable to severe weather and other effects from climatic changes. This Pulse article identifies current and likely future changes to the environment and explores the concepts of adaptation and resilience as they apply to infrastructure.

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