A recent summit discussed how the engineering profession can consider climate change when designing and building future structures and infrastructure projects.
Annually, the United States invests more than $1.5 trillion in the design, construction, and maintenance of homes, businesses, transportation systems, industrial centers, and other components, according to a 2023 U.S. Census Bureau report.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), and the University of Maryland (UMD) Center for Technology and Systems Management held the summit.
A memorandum released during the summit details how NOAA’s science and products will be used to inform the building and civil engineering codes, standards, and best practice manuals the ASCE develops. The partnership is facilitated in part by UMD.
The partnership will also focus on inequities in climate resilience and will work to identify specific needs for climate-resilient infrastructure in urban, rural, and low-income communities.
According to NOAA research, low-income communities suffer more damage and are at greater risk from extreme weather events than more affluent communities. Other risks, such as poor air quality, urban heat islands, and inland flooding, frequently compound problems.
Last year was the third most costly year for weather and climate-related disasters.