Who: Allison Reilly, Ph.D.
When: Friday, November 22nd, 11:00am-11:50am
Where: KH A510 (Lincoln), PKI 160 (Omaha)
Zoom: 937 3450 0302
Title: Infrastructure reliability and the burden of sea-level rise: Do current planning metrics capture the correct risk?
Abstract: Many rural communities are on the front lines of climate change. The need to understand who may be affected and when is widely acknowledged to enable inclusive and cost-effective adaptation planning. In this work, I will explore the potential threat of sea-level rise on non-housing infrastructure (e.g., roads, septic systems) in rural, coastal areas to help inform the impact of their loss on local communities. I will present work that evaluates local accessibility loss during high tides for the entire US coastline (termed “risk of isolation”) for various climate change scenarios, and preliminary evidence from research that suggests that the risk of septic system failures is quite significant in many coastal communities.