Climate Resilience as National Security: Adapting Infrastructure for Extreme Weather

Building Tomorrow’s Climate-Proof Infrastructure
With 60% of U.S. military bases at risk from climate threats, resilience is now a national security imperative. Dr. Ian Cole, Climate Adaptation Director, shares groundbreaking approaches:
“We redesigned a Florida naval base with amphibious structures that float during storm surges—protecting $800M in assets during last year’s Category 4 hurricane.”

Key Projects:

1. Wildfire-Resistant Power Grids:
   • “California’s 2023 pilot used AI to predict ignition points, deploying drone-mounted fire retardant 30 minutes before lightning strikes.”
2. Arctic Base Innovations:
   • Case Study: Permafrost-stabilizing tech extended an Alaskan radar station’s lifespan by 20 years despite thawing ground.
3. Urban Flood Barriers:
   • “New York’s modular barrier system deployed in 4 hours during 2024 floods—a 90% improvement over sandbagging.”

Policy Implications:

• “New FEMA rules require climate stress tests for all federal projects by 2025. We’re training 500+ engineers in resilience modeling.”

Visuals:

• Before/After Slider: Military base pre- and post-retrofitting.
• Stat: “$128B in climate-related defense losses since 2018.”