Climate Change Adaptation: DOD Can Improve Infrastructure Planning and Processes to Better Account for Potential Impacts

According to DOD, its U.S. infrastructure is vulnerable to the potential impacts of climate change. These could affect DOD s readiness and fiscal exposure, and DOD has begun to plan for adaptation actions designed to improve infrastructure resilience. GAO was asked to assess DOD s actions to adapt i...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Lepore, Brian J
Other Authors: GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY OFFICE WASHINGTON DC
Format: Text
Language:English
Published: 2014
Subjects:
Meteorology
Logistics
Military Facilities and Supplies
*CLIMATE CHANGE
*MILITARY FACILITIES
ADAPTATION
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
EROSION
FIRES
FLOODING
INFRASTRUCTURE
PERMAFROST
PLANNING
RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
RISK MANAGEMENT
SEA ICE
SEA LEVEL
SITE INVESTIGATIONS
STORMS
VULNERABILITY
GAO REPORTS
INSTALLATION PLANNING
MILITARY INSTALLATIONS
STORM SURGES
VULNERABILITY ASSESSMENTS
WILDFIRES
MILITARY CONSTRUCTION
Ice
permafrost
Sea ice
Online Access:http://www.dtic.mil/docs/citations/ADA602176
http://oai.dtic.mil/oai/oai?&verb=getRecord&metadataPrefix=html&identifier=ADA602176
Description
Summary:According to DOD, its U.S. infrastructure is vulnerable to the potential impacts of climate change. These could affect DOD s readiness and fiscal exposure, and DOD has begun to plan for adaptation actions designed to improve infrastructure resilience. GAO was asked to assess DOD s actions to adapt its U.S. infrastructure to the challenges of climate change. This report (1) describes potential impacts identified by DOD that may affect its infrastructure; (2) evaluates DOD s efforts to conduct vulnerability assessments; (3) assesses how DOD is accounting for climate change impacts in certain planning efforts; and (4) evaluates the extent to which DOD incorporates adaptation into its infrastructure-investment efforts.GAO reviewed DOD documents on climate change, infrastructure planning, and funding processes; interviewed cognizant officials; and visited or contacted a nongeneralizable sample of 15 sites in various regions and from each military department. GAO recommends that DOD develop a plan and milestones for completing climate change vulnerability assessments of installations; provide further information to installation planners, clarifying actions that should be taken to account for climate change in planning documents; and clarify the processes used to compare military construction projects for funding, to include consideration of potential climate change impacts. DOD concurred with GAO's recommendations and explained how they will be implemented.

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