Institute for Resilient Infrastructure Systems

The U.S. Southeast held its breath last week as the region prepared for Hurricane Helene, which threatened excessive rainfall and strong winds hundreds of miles north of its landfall destination on the Gulf Coast. One week later, over 215 casualties have been confirmed and entire cities are still without power. Hurricane seasons are changing as oceans warm, producing stronger storms that can travel further inland. In a new opinion piece in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, researchers at the Institute for Resilient Infrastructure Systems (IRIS) are putting out the call more publicly than ever: “We can do better. Through infrastructure and communication changes, we can save lives and reduce substantial social and economic disruption and increase societal resilience to hurricanes.” The article, coauthored by Brian Bledsoe, Marshall Shepherd, Brock Woodson and Rhett Jackson, discusses the imperative of stronger disaster preparedness, and some of the methods by which we can prevent this level of devastation. For example, loss of power could have been reduced or prevented by “undergrounding,” or burying power lines. Stronger warnings about the severity of the weather could have encouraged people in mountain communities to evacuate ahead of the storm, preventing the hundreds of people currently trapped with no road access. Municipal systems that provided access to drinking water or generators could have saved many lives in the wake of the flooding, if they had the resources. But the authors make it clear: this is not a question of “would’ve, could’ve, should’ve.” The message made clear by Hurricane Helene is that storms are getting stronger, and we will have an extreme price to pay without major updates to our infrastructure and risk preparedness planning. “The I-26 bridges that washed into the Nolichuky River in Tennessee were 500 miles from Helene’s landfall,” the article concludes. “We cannot continue business as usual.” Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/eK2auvUi ?? FEMA

A Conversation about Nature Our country’s first National Nature Assessment (NNA) (https://lnkd.in/eiAudTfs) includes a host of important opportunities.?Key among those is the opportunity to engage in a meaningful, national conversation about nature—our dependence on nature and our relationship to it. This week, UGA’s Institute for Resilient Infrastructure Systems hosted the second public engagement event on the NNA with the U.S. Global Change Research Program.?The setting for the event at UGA’s Whitehall Forest was apropos.?The purpose of the current series of public engagement events across the country is to spark public dialogue and invite feedback on the initial topics the authorship teams have identified across the 11 chapters of the NNA (The public comment period on these topics is open through November 4, 2024 and information about how you can provide your feedback is available at https://lnkd.in/eEJXmzpT).?I am eager, as are my fellow co-authors, to hear feedback on our chapter on “Nature and Risk, Resilience and Security in the U.S.” We had a wonderful evening of conversation and this is some of what I saw, heard, and thought: - Nature is a common denominator for people. - Nature is important to the young and old(er). - Everyone has good perspectives and thoughts to share on nature. - I was more hopeful about the future at the end of the day. The conversation we had this week made me think about one of the very first conversations I had about the NNA.?At the time of the conversation my fellow discussant had a senior job in a government agency.?I was describing the purpose of the NNA and its relationship to nature-based solutions and the overall benefits we derive from nature.?He said, “That’s interesting.?When I think about nature, I think about it as the place where animals live that want to eat me.”?Dialogue is good. ? Institute for Resilient Infrastructure Systems, University of Georgia College of Engineering, Odum School of Ecology, Tessa Francis, Courtney DeLoatch-Hill; Phillip Levin, safra altman; Keith Bowers, Kristin Tremain Davis, Maria Dillard, Joe Fargione, Monica Grasso, Marccus D. Hendricks , Ellen Herbert, Rebecca Muenich, Robert W. Nairn, Laura Norman, Ariana Sutton-Grier, Bret Webb, Stephan Durham, Mark Hunter, Brian Bledsoe

In a new six-part docu-series by PBS, WEATHERED: EARTH’S EXTREMES will explore the impacts of climate change and the communities on the frontline of extreme weather events. The host, science communicator Maiya May, will meet with scientists and community leaders across the country working to build a more resilient future, including the University of Georgia’s own Dr. Marshall Shepherd. Dr. Shepherd, IRIS’s Climate Science and Outreach Director and Georgia Athletic Association Distinguished Professor of Geography and Atmospheric Sciences, is an experienced meteorologist and geographer who often provides expertise on weather, water resources and climate for an array of audiences, from the Journal of the American Water Resources Association (JAWRA) to Forbes. He will be featured in Episode 5: “Not ‘Business as Usual’,” in which “Maiya explores positive climate tipping points.” In this episode, May and Shepherd will discuss climate challenges and vulnerabilities across the US. “In 2015, when I decided to pivot away from pursuing a career as an on-air meteorologist, I made it my mission to create thought-provoking content that strengthens knowledge, appreciation, and connection to our natural world,” said Maiya May, host and science communicator. “Climate change is complex and, for some, may feel like a problem for future generations, or geographic regions other than their own. WEATHERED: EARTH’S EXTREMES breaks down these concepts and shows viewers how their lives might be affected, all while offering hope and real, tangible solutions. I’m so proud and blessed to be able to communicate the science behind this increasingly important matter, and I can’t wait for audiences to see it.” The series premiered Wednesday, October 2, on all station-branded PBS platforms, including PBS.org and the PBS App, available on iOS, Android, Roku streaming devices, Apple TV, Android TV, Amazon Fire TV, Samsung Smart TV, Chromecast and VIZIO. The series will also be available on the PBS YouTube channel: https://lnkd.in/dEpBiki

Craig Landry, Garrett Stanford, Lalita Adhikari (MS, 2023), Lusi Xie, and Susana Ferreira?were among over 100 climate experts from more than 60 organizations who gathered in Atlanta for the Climate Risk & Resilience Summit. The goal? To strengthen industry-university partnerships and drive actionable innovation in climate risk management. As part of the summit, students and faculty had the opportunity to showcase their research on climate risks and explore potential solutions to address these pressing global challenges.

We’re thrilled to welcome a new member to our team: Gabrielle Pierre (裴家佳), Senior Research Fellow and Strategic Team Leader. Serving in a position split between the Institute for Resilient Infrastructure Systems and the Georgia Network for Electric Mobility, Pierre will be leading a resilience assessment for the state of Georgia while she simultaneously pushes the needle forward on electric vehicle use, leveraging her over ten years of experience to connect key players across the University of Georgia and state. Prior to this position, Pierre worked internationally in management consulting, energy and sustainability strategy and large-scale infrastructure planning in regions including the United States, Jamaica, Haiti, Turkey, China, Panama, and Costa Rica. Her driving goals are to make spaces and places more efficient, climate resilient, and equitable, and she pulls on her deep knowledge of the global and local dynamics that shape development to do so. In her free time, Pierre loves to dance: she is a US nationally and regionally ranked and 2022 world title holding ProAm ballroom dancer.

Check out this paper from our friends at the UGA Department of Anthropology, University of Georgia College of Engineering and US Army Corps of Engineers!

Join the University of Georgia River Basin Center next Friday, October 4 at 12:00pm for a brown bag lunch featuring Dr. Adam Orford, environmental law professor at the University of Georgia. The End of Chevron Deference: Understanding the Implications of Recent Supreme Court Decisions on Environmental Protection On June 28, 2024, the US Supreme Court overturned the Chevron Doctrine, significantly curtailing the abilities of agencies like the EPA to regulate environmental policy. During this lunch, Dr. Adam Orford will lead discussion on the path froward after 40 years of legal precedent. No registration is required for this event. Food will be provided. See you there!

Earlier this month, the Institute for Resilient Infrastructure Systems (IRIS) at the University of Georgia welcomed David Pittman, Director of the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) and Director of Research and Development and Chief Scientist, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, along with several colleagues from ERDC, including Dr. Edmond Russo, Director of ERDC’s Environmental Laboratory, Franck Nago, Senior Research and Development Acquisition Advisor, Jeff King, National Lead and Program Manager for the Engineering With Nature Initiative, Safra Altman, Senior Research Ecologist in the Environmental Laboratory, and two USACE employees who double as PhD students at UGA, Darixa Hernández-Abrams and Elissa Yeates. This visit built on a long history of collaboration between the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and IRIS. The two organizations have teamed up to further the field of nature-based infrastructure since 2018, including developing joint research projects that range from establishing global engineering standards for nature-based solutions to developing tools that will help planners easily assess the many co-benefits that come from integrating natural and conventional infrastructure. Over 12 USACE employees have served as adjunct faculty at the University of Georgia. Todd Bridges, who spent 30 years with ERDC, spoke to the exciting potential in the collaboration. “Progress runs on the rails of relationships. I really believe that. The collaboration and partnership between ERDC and IRIS is moving the infrastructure community and the country forward toward true resilience. It’s exciting to be a part of this type of ‘people power.’” The visit highlighted the rich collaborations that have already taken place and emphasized the bright future yet to come. “I see your talent and motivation,” Pittman said to the UGA faculty, staff and students during the visit. “With your commitment to partnership, we could create years and decades of success together.”

Reminder: We'll be hosting a public engagement event for the inaugural National Nature Assessment NEXT WEEK, Tuesday, Oct. 1 from 6-8 pm! Register here: https://lnkd.in/e2cg6ViQ Led by the U.S. Global Change Research Program, the inaugural National Nature Assessment (NNA1) will evaluate U.S. lands, waters, wildlife, biodiversity, and their contributions to our economy, health, culture, climate and equity. These free public engagement events will inform the content of the Assessment chapters and include information sharing, Q&A sessions, and collaborative round table discussions. The NNA1 Zero-Order Draft is now available for public comment. Learn more at global change.gov/nna.

IRIS in Focus is a collection of policy-focused white-papers from our research team, ranging on topics from policy barriers to the nuts and bolts of natural infrastructure implementation. This month, we’re excited to announce that we have two new editions: Overview of Living Shoreline Permitting and Regulatory Review in North Carolina, Georgia, Florida, and Mississippi ?? In the southeastern coastal United States, Department of Defense (DOD) installations and surrounding communities face significant challenges from coastal erosion, flooding, and sea-level rise. Waves driven by wind, boat traffic, and storms can destroy fragile landforms along the coastline, not to mention sea walls and other traditional or “gray” infrastructure. This guidebook was produced through an engagement with the Southeast Regional Partnership for Planning and Sustainability (SERPPAS). It is intended to help minimize delays in project development by providing useful background information on relevant agencies, administrative processes, and the underlying laws in four key states in the Southeast region: North Carolina, Georgia, Florida, and Mississippi. Implementing Nature-Based Solutions: Levee Setbacks and Voluntary Property Buyouts ?? A levee setback realigns an existing levee or constructs a new one at a distance from an active river channel, reconnecting the river with its historical floodplain. One key component of the levee setback process is conducting voluntary property buyouts of properties located between the river and the new levee footprint. For a general voluntary property buyout, a local government or entity buys eligible homes or property from willing sellers, demolishes any structures, and maintains the land as open space. A buyout thus eliminates the flood risk to people and property in that area and reduces costly flood damages in the future. In practice, these buyouts can be quite challenging. This primer builds on a previous IRIS in Focus primer that provides a legal and policy foundation for communities interested in levee setbacks. Both publications are available at iris.uga.edu/iris-in-focus