Climate-Proofing Critical Systems
Reinforcing infrastructure against heat, floods, and extreme weather
Your Progress
Section 2 of 5Infrastructure Under Stress
Most infrastructure was designed for yesterday's climate. Roads buckle at 45°C. Power grids fail during heat waves. Bridges collapse in unprecedented floods.
Infrastructure built for 100-year floods now faces 100-year floods every decade. Systems engineered for temperature ranges that no longer exist. The mismatch between design assumptions and climate reality creates cascading failures across critical sectors.
Extreme Heat
Asphalt softens, rail tracks warp, power lines sag, cooling systems overload during heat waves 5-10°C beyond design specs.
Flooding
Increased precipitation intensity overwhelms drainage. River floods exceed 500-year return periods. Storm surges penetrate inland.
Cascading Failures
Power outage during heat wave → water pumps fail → hospitals evacuate → emergency services overwhelmed. Interconnected risks amplify.
Interactive Infrastructure Stress Tester
Test infrastructure performance under different climate scenarios and explore adaptation options
Road Networks
Performance under CURRENT
💰 Economic Reality: Climate-proofing infrastructure adds 5-40% to initial construction costs but avoids 4-10× greater damages over asset lifetime. For every $1 invested in resilient infrastructure, $4-6 is saved in avoided losses and reduced downtime.