Workshop: A System of Systems Perspective on Critical Infrastructure Management; Charlottesville, Virginia; March 6-9, 2016

University Of Virginia Main Campus, Charlottesville VA

Investigators

Abstract

Since 1980, the U.S. has experienced 151 weather disasters with damages exceeding 1 billion dollars each. With changing climate and development patterns and the severity and frequency of extreme weather events increasing, the U.S. must address the vulnerability of its critical infrastructure systems of systems. The Nation's critical infrastructure provides the essential services that underpin the American way of life. A vast array of interdependent infrastructure and information technology networks, services, and resources enable communication, facilitate travel, power our homes, run our economy, and provide essential government services. The aging or deteriorating condition of significant parts of these systems both weaken our resilience and negatively affect our nation's security and prosperity. This workshop will address: (i) the projected impacts of climate change, including sea-level rise and the increasing severity and frequency of extreme weather events; and (ii) the consequential damage or disruptions that result in cascading effects across our communities, with immeasurable costs in lives lost and billions of dollars in property damage. Adaptation and adjustments to natural, or to human systems in response to actual, or expected climate change, will require a risk management strategy to protect vulnerable sectors and communities. This workshop will examine and assess the well-documented sources of risk and uncertainty associated with climate change and sea-level rise and incorporate the multiagency interactive infrastructure within a comprehensive approach to federal agency infrastructure planning for coastal urban areas. Workshop participants will include: experts in response to extreme weather events that include federal agencies, scientists and practicing engineers, and academics studying resilience, vulnerability in the context of risk-based systems engineering, and possibly international experts in the workshop's theme. All would collaborate to develop a practical, hierarchically linked risk management framework that will effectively limit and proactively manage the myriad sources of risk associated with climate change adaptation strategies for critical infrastructure. The risk management framework would help to streamline the often segmented and limited jurisdictional responsibilities and authorities within a three tiered integrated, hierarchical decision-making framework to restructure: (i) agency implementation processes of climate adaptation guidelines; (ii) programmatic policies, evaluation principles and decision criteria; and, (iii) project level design, planning and operating rules.