Transcript Infrastructure to Combat Climate Change

Disaster Resilience Infrastructure to Combat
Climate Change
Creating Disaster-Resilient Communities
ICC Hong Kong, May 30th, 2007
What’s an Arup?
Drivers of Change
• Climate
• Energy
• Water
• Waste
• Demographics
• Urbanization
Definition
• Disaster Aversion: mitigating disasters we
are causing or causing to accelerate
• Disaster-Resistance: designing systems to
withstand events (typically through singlesystem approaches)
• Disaster-Resilience: designing flexible,
adaptive and redundant systems, typically
through an integrated approach
At what scale should we be
addressing these issues?
Increasing dependence on largescale grids/distribution systems =
increased vulnerability to climate
change/disasters
(mega-farms, national energy grids,
telecoms, etc)
Vulnerable Communities (metropolitan areas)
• Growing urban populations stressing existing
resources/systems
• Poorly articulated growth strategies promote
consumption of natural buffers/critical areas
• Distributed governance responsibility =
difficult coordination / slow reaction
• Corporate resilience heavily linked to
resilience of public infrastructure = threat to
competitiveness in global economy
Characteristics of Disaster-Resilience Communities
• Link prevention strategies with
buildings/infrastructure (critical facilities)
• Buildings fail gently at specific points
• Energy, water, communications strategies
can function detached from local / regional /
national grids
• Industrial / food strategies, warehousing
• Performance-based regulatory schemes
encourage innovation
Examples
• Non-bonded braces (seismic zones)
• Energy independence – wind, sun, biofuels
• Fuel cell powered buses (Dongtan) and ferries
(Treasure Island) double as back up power for
critical facilities
• Integrated design approach to high density
compact development = energy efficiency, more
open space, reduced infrastructure costs
• Recycling 100% water to live within community’s
water budget
Conclusion
• A sustainable (integrated design) approach is the
most rational pathway to long term value creation
and competitive advantage
• The most robust of all risk management
strategies: depth, breadth, at intersections and
over time.
• Without an economic lever customary belief is
difficult to dislodge
• To optimize conditions for human development
over time a city must be environmentally, socially,
economically and culturally sustainable
Thank You