Building for an Uncertain Future
Infrastructure designed to withstand, adapt, and recover from climate extremes
Your Progress
Section 1 of 5The Infrastructure Crisis
Our civilization runs on infrastructure built for a climate that no longer exists.
The infrastructure supporting modern life—power grids, water systems, transportation networks, communication towers—was designed using historical climate data. But climate change has invalidated those assumptions. What was once a "100-year flood" now happens every few years. Heat waves exceed design temperatures by 10°C. Storms deliver precipitation intensities never anticipated.
Why Traditional Infrastructure Fails
Optimized for average conditions, catastrophic failure when conditions exceed design specs.
Systems interconnected without isolation. Failures cascade rapidly across sectors.
Built for fixed conditions. Cannot adapt as climate continues changing.
Minimized redundancy to reduce costs. No backup when primary systems fail.
Infrastructure lasts 50-100 years. Locked into outdated assumptions for generations.
Fix it when it breaks. No early warning or preventive intervention.
Infrastructure Failure Cascade Simulator
Select a system to trigger and watch how failures cascade through interconnected infrastructure
💡 Why This Matters: Modern infrastructure systems are highly interconnected. A single point of failure can cascade through multiple sectors within hours. Resilient design requires redundancy, isolation mechanisms, and rapid response protocols to prevent cascade failures.
The New Paradigm: Resilient by Design
From Resistance to Adaptation
Instead of building stronger walls against floods, design systems that can function partially submerged. Accept that extremes will happen and design for graceful degradation rather than catastrophic failure.
From Centralized to Distributed
Replace single large power plants with microgrids. Create redundant pathways for water and transport. Decentralization prevents single points of failure and enables rapid local recovery.
From Static to Adaptive
Build infrastructure that monitors conditions, predicts failures, and reconfigures automatically. Smart systems that learn and evolve as climate impacts intensify.
From Isolated to Integrated
Coordinate across sectors. Green infrastructure that manages stormwater while cooling cities. Transport systems that double as evacuation routes. Multi-functional resilience.