Congressional Action on Resilient Infrastructure: Areas of Progress and Future Needs

The document details how the 115th Congress integrated resilience into various sectors through legislation like the Disaster Recovery Reform Act and the National Defense Authorization Act. It highlights the rising economic costs of climate-driven disasters, the importance of pre-disaster mitigation, and the role of nature-based infrastructure in reducing risk. The authors argue that while progress has been made in defense, water, and transportation, the federal government must further institutionalize climate adaptation and resilience metrics to protect lives and property.

• The economic impact of weather and climate disasters in the United States is escalating, with 238 events exceeding $1 billion in damages between 1980 and 2018, totaling over $1.5 trillion. The year 2017 was particularly historic, with 16 'billion-dollar' disasters resulting in estimated damages of $312.7 billion.
• The Disaster Recovery Reform Act (DRRA) of 2018 shifted federal disaster policy toward pre-disaster mitigation (PDM), allowing for investments in building codes, safe rooms, and the elevation of structures before disasters occur. It also permits disaster-damaged structures to be rebuilt according to the most recent model codes and standards.
• The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for FY2019 emphasizes the resilience of Department of Defense (DOD) infrastructure and energy systems. It requires risk mitigation plans for construction projects in 100-year floodplains, including elevating mission-critical structures by three feet and non-mission critical structures by two feet above projected floodwater levels.
• Nature-based infrastructure, such as wetlands and forests, is increasingly recognized as critical for risk reduction. For example, coastal wetlands in New Jersey are estimated to have avoided $625 million in direct flood damages during Hurricane Sandy. The 2016 Water Resources Development Act expanded the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' use of nature-based features for risk reduction across the country.
• To combat 'fire-borrowing'—the practice of diverting forest management funds to cover wildfire suppression—the 2018 Consolidated Appropriations Act established a Wildfire and Disaster Funding Adjustment. This creates a separate disaster cap starting at $2.25 billion in FY2020 and increasing to $2.95 billion by 2027, providing an additional $20 billion over 10 years.
• Sea level rise poses a significant threat to U.S. coastal populations and infrastructure. Approximately 40 percent of the U.S. population (123.3 million people in 2010) lives in high-density coastal areas vulnerable to flooding and erosion. Global sea levels have risen seven to eight inches since 1900, with the possibility of an eight-foot rise by 2100.

APA

La Shier, B., Stolark, J., & Vaughan, E. (2019). Congressional Action on Resilient Infrastructure: Areas of Progress and Future Needs. Environmental and Energy Study Institute. https://www.eesi.org/papers/view/issue-brief-congressional-action-on-resilient-infrastructure-areas-of-progress-and-future-needs

Chicago

La Shier, Brian, Jessie Stolark, and Ellen Vaughan. Congressional Action on Resilient Infrastructure: Areas of Progress and Future Needs. Environmental and Energy Study Institute, 2019. https://www.eesi.org/papers/view/issue-brief-congressional-action-on-resilient-infrastructure-areas-of-progress-and-future-needs.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=La Shier |first1=Brian |last2=Stolark |first2=Jessie |last3=Vaughan |first3=Ellen |title=Congressional Action on Resilient Infrastructure: Areas of Progress and Future Needs |publisher=Environmental and Energy Study Institute |date=10 April 2019 |url=https://www.eesi.org/papers/view/issue-brief-congressional-action-on-resilient-infrastructure-areas-of-progress-and-future-needs |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{lashier2019congressional, author = {La Shier, Brian and Stolark, Jessie and Vaughan, Ellen}, title = {{Congressional Action on Resilient Infrastructure: Areas of Progress and Future Needs}}, institution = {Environmental and Energy Study Institute}, year = {2019}, month = apr, url = {https://www.eesi.org/papers/view/issue-brief-congressional-action-on-resilient-infrastructure-areas-of-progress-and-future-needs}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }