NOVEMBER 20248GOVERNMENT CIO OUTLOOKOPINIONIBUILDING RESILIENT CITIESBy Alan Dodd, Public Works Director, City of Fort Lauderdalet's well recognized that South Florida's climate is changing, and local governments must adapt our infrastructure and neighborhoods for the future. Just as children prepare to return to school each September, it's become routine for families to build hurricane preparedness kits, stocking water and supplies should another hurricane strike our coastline. From the local through the federal level, we review emergency response plans, develop contingencies, and provide for readiness with robust capabilities to reduce impacts and allow for the quickest possible recovery. Local governments must take the same approach in addressing other current and future vulnerabilities from climate change.In Fort Lauderdale, climate resilience, the ability to anticipate, prepare for, respond to, and recover from hazardous events and trends related to climate, is much more than simply preparing for hurricanes. It requires us to consider all aspects of how climate change impacts our residents. We have seen close to a 200% increase in the number of days where temperatures exceed 90 degrees since 1970, increasing risk for elderly and other populations who are most vulnerable to heat-related illnesses. With seven miles of shoreline and 300 miles of waterway coastline, Fort Lauderdale is particularly vulnerable to the effects of sea level rise as extreme high tides overtop seawalls or flood low-lying roadways through stormwater outfalls. The changing sea level has caused groundwater levels to rise, reducing the ability for rainfall to seep naturally into the ground. We now experience heavier and more intense rainstorms, including microbursts, that quickly overwhelm drainage systems and cause short-term flooding. Our infrastructure, largely built in the 60s and 70s, wasn't designed for these conditions and we must adapt existing systems now if we are to meet demands of tomorrow. It's only through a comprehensive assessment of how climate change will alter climate-related risks that we can take the steps necessary to better cope with these risks.In local government, infrastructure standards are largely defined by policies, ordinances, and regulations used to inform technical Alan DoddIN MY
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