Critical infrastructure

Scientists from the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research PIK developed a new method that can be used to identify those critical lines and increase the system’s resilience.

Rising seas, heavy precipitation, and extreme heat are causing corrosion, buckling, and cracking in bridges across the United States.

Advanced weather prediction tools, renewable energy integration, and grid modernization are some of the key initiatives currently being undertaken by utilities to ensure network resilience in the face of power outages caused by extreme weather events.

A recent paper in Engineering Geology describes how heavy rainfall triggered >40 m of movement in a landslide that had been reactivated by a dam.

Are thunderstorms with extreme winds getting worse as the climate changes? It’s possible, but we can’t yet say for sure. That’s partly because thunderstorms involve small-scale processes harder to study than bigger weather systems.

This study seeks to evaluate the procedures and decisions made by electric utilities during Winter Storm Uri, and provide a set of recommendations to improve the resilience of energy systems in preparation for future extreme weather events.

When disaster strikes, coming together to support impacted communities not only helps with their recovery – it can set them on the path to a more resilient, sustainable future.

For the first time, the world faces simultaneous disruptions in two major global maritime trade waterways, with far-reaching implications for inflation and food and energy security.