CLIMA/Collaborative Research: Equitable Adaptive Strategies for Flood Protection Infrastructure under Current and Future Compound Hazards

Over two-thirds of the American population lives in counties protected against flooding by the levee system. Historically underserved and socially vulnerable communities (HUSVCs) are particularly at risk due to their high exposure and barriers to mitigation. This award supports a transdisciplinary research project to explore climate-informed strategies for equitable adaptation of levees under compound hazards to address these challenges.

The research project aims to ensure the resilience of the nation's aging levees while meeting the needs of HUSVCs. The findings will contribute to levee safety and durability subject to the current and future climate conditions. The project translates advances in climate science and modeling into easily understandable information for engineers and decision-makers.

The project has three main objectives: identifying vulnerabilities and disparities within leveed communities; developing theoretical frameworks integrating compound hazards into engineering design and risk assessment, and determining equitable climate adaptation strategies based on technical, socioeconomic, and policy factors. The researchers hypothesize that neglecting the compounding effects of multiple hazards in a changing climate underestimates the risk of levee failure and its disproportionate effect on HUSVCs.

The goal is to inform both soft and hard levee adaptation measures that are technically sound, socially just, and economically feasible. The team engages local HUSVCs to understand their needs, priorities, and perceived risks, while also promoting flood risk awareness and preparation. In the pilot communities, stakeholders and community leaders provide important feedback to refine these measures.

This project is supported by the Humans, Disasters, and the Built Environment (HDBE) Program and the Engineering for Civil Infrastructure (ECI) Program of the Division of Civil, Mechanical and Manufacturing Innovation (CMMI) of the Directorate for Engineering (ENG).

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.