05 Mar Adaptation Working Group Letter to Congress on 2024 Resilience Priorities in Infrastructure
In 2023, BPC Action, as part of the Adaptation Working Group—a coalition of national organizations that represent a broad array of stakeholders—along with other like-minded organizations, recommended six resilience priorities for Congress to consider when developing policy.
Since urging Congress to take action on these priorities last January, the United States experienced 28 separate billion-dollar weather and climate disasters, making 2023 the year with the most billion-dollar disasters in the U.S. on record. Additionally, many regions across the country continue to experience extreme weather, including increasingly intense and destructive rainfall that overwhelms stormwater infrastructure and floods homes and businesses.
As a country, we face a critical moment to reimagine infrastructure design, federal grant programs, and disaster recovery processes. As the business of the 118th Congress concludes this year, the Adaptation Working Group encourages Congress to take action to build a more resilient nation and consider the following proposals:
- Simplify programs and enhance efficiency to reduce barriers to access
- Invest in our most at-risk communities
- Empower communities to implement the most beneficial adaptation solutions to fit their unique needs
- Use updated data to plan for the future
- Focus on comprehensive regional efforts and coordinate these efforts nationally
- Train the climate adaptation and resilience workforce
The need to adapt to extreme weather patterns is great, but the current opportunity for Congress to lead on solutions that protect lives, homes, and communities is even greater. We hope you consider the legislation highlighted in this letter to build a more resilient nation. We look forward to supporting you in this mission.
Read our full letter to congressional leadership.
