Infrastructure systems face increasing hazards due to climate change that current policies and practices are ill-equipped to handle. Dams and water systems built in the 20th century face new stresses as climate models project temperature increases of 5 degrees Celsius or more and precipitation changes of -5 to -8% for some areas. The disconnect between policymakers and scientists over these challenges has grown into a chasm, leaving infrastructure vulnerable at a time when it is described as increasingly fragile. Adaptation will require rethinking assumptions of human domination over the environment.

1. A Problem Not Even Duct Tape can Fix?
Hazards, Infrastructure, and Resilience
Mike Pease, Assistant Professor
Department of Geography
Central Washington University

2. Bio-Physical
Sciences
Natural
Resource
Law and
Policy
Economics

3. First World Problems are the worst…

5. Infrastructure is the
common denominator

6. 1869 Expedition

7. Completed in 1936

10. Environmental Determinism
trumps Human “Domination”

12. “The Era of New Dam
Construction is over”

18. The Disconnect between Policy
Makers and Scientists is better
defined as a Chasm

21. Director, American Society of Engineers
“It’s got to be one of the more fragile infrastructure
systems in the country right now”.

25. Climate
Newest IPCC models (2011)
Wilder et al. ≥5°, -5-8%

26. Where does our water come from?

27. Are we any
different?