RESILIENCY RESOURCES

• How ESG Goals Can Help Drive Resilient Water Asset Management

  Did you know that WATER ranks as one of North America’s top three ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) concerns, according to the 2019 RBC Global Asset Management Responsible Investment Survey?  This is not surprising, but it is very significant because it underlines how water assets today are at risk and that current management practices today simply are not sustainable. The existing infrastructure that is supposed to keep water available, safe and drinkable is quietly, sometimes loudly, crumbling in cities and communities around the globe. It is imperative that we start reassessing the way we think about resilience in water management and change our ways. With the pandemic and the rise of ESG as part of decision-making, now is the time to capitalize on innovation, to maximize the return on infrastructure renewal programs and at the same time accelerate our economic recovery.

• What Biden’s Infrastructure Plan Means For Rivers

  This past week President Biden unveiled his American Jobs Plan, proposing a nearly $2.3 trillion investment in our national infrastructure. Does this bold plan do enough for rivers?

• $500 Million Now Available For Pre-Disaster Mitigation Projects

  Climate change and the need for mitigation efforts for disaster control have resulted in more federal funding available for public entities throughout the U.S.

• Looking Forward: How Digital Solutions Can Save Us From Future Disasters

  Infrastructure rarely makes headlines, but the severe devastation in Texas requires a blunt conversation about aging infrastructure in the U.S. In a strange coincidence, shortly after news and images from Texas shocked the world, ASCE published its 2021 Infrastructure Report Card highlighting the decrepit state of the nation’s infrastructure, and, for the first time, including a report card for stormwater management.

• Tracking Biden’s First 100 Days: UCLA Experts Assess Progress On Environmental Issues

  Crucial changes already underway, but significant challenges ahead, faculty say.

• Trimble’s System Of Action™ Offers Real-Time Operational Awareness

  Escondido, California, has been on a growth trajectory, having tripled the typical rate of development in the past few years.

• Help For Small Water Systems Might Be Closer Than You Thought

  Due to limits in personnel or resources, small community water systems often have a tough time funding and implementing needed upgrades. A recent webinar on Leveraging Regional Development Organizations to Support Small Water Systems, hosted by the Environmental Finance Center Network (EFCN), shows how collaboration can make a difference by integrating water-system concerns into a broader approach to overall community concerns.

• Partnering For Equity And Clean Water

  It was the evening of October 1, 2012 at the Rick McDevitt Community Center in Four Corners Park. The cinder block walled room was filled with community members interested in learning about the city’s plans for stopping the flooding and combined sewer spills in their neighborhood. Just three months prior, a 25-year storm delivering 3.5 inches of rain in just four hours flooded streets and filled basements and backyards with toilet paper and sewage. It was then the Mayor promised a plan within 30 days for addressing the problem.

• Science And Social Justice In The San Juan Bay Estuary

  When it rains, it floods along the Caño Martín Peña in San Juan, Puerto Rico. This 3.75-mile-long tidal channel that should flow freely through the San Juan Bay Estuary has developed a clog that’s impacting the health of the estuary and its citizens.

• Floods Will Always Come, But We Can Build Better To Prepare

  As the climate changes, floods and extreme rainfall events will become more intense. In many cases, the most disadvantaged people are at highest risk from floods and least able to bounce back when their homes and businesses are inundated. I saw that dynamic first-hand when I lived through Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans. Much of my work in its aftermath focused on finding new ways to allow the city to better absorb water, reducing flood risk and easing pressure on drainage systems.