Approved by the Energy, Environment, and Water Policy Committee on December 16, 2025 
Approved by the Public Policy and Practice Committee on March 20, 2026
Adopted by the Board of Direction on July 21, 2026

Policy

The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) supports: 

  • Continued and expanded long-term weather data collection programs utilizing the latest generation of weather surveillance tools and technologies across all levels of government.
  • Continued funding to support the prediction of the location, intensity, and frequency of weather events and to advance research that improves weather forecasting capabilities.
  • Continued development of computer models and programs used to interpret weather surveillance information.
  • Special emphasis placed on identifying and understanding weather trends related to the changing climate.
  • Maintained and improved access to weather data for all organizations and the general public.

Issue

Engineers use weather data for many reasons, including research, planning, design, and the development of engineering standards to support sustainable and resilient infrastructure. Reliable and accessible, high-resolution weather data have only been collected consistently for a limited portion of the historical record, constraining long-term engineering analysis. A changing climate increases the need for more complete, accurate, and continuous weather data. Federal and state governments play an essential role in long-term weather data collection, management, and preservation, as well as advancement in technology. 

Rationale

Civil engineers are responsible for the planning, design, construction, operation, and maintenance, and decommissioning closure of physical infrastructure. This infrastructure includes buildings, communication facilities, energy facilities, industrial facilities, transportation systems, water resource systems, and flood control infrastructure that must remain functional and safe under a variety of weather conditions, overlong service lives typically lasting 50 to more than 100 years.

ASCE represents professionals who depend on access to robust, long term weather data to determine and validate design loads, assess risk, support disaster preparedness, and incorporate resilience into infrastructure systems. Long-term, continuous data collection and reporting enables civil engineers to better understand weather impacts and to design more resilient and sustainable infrastructure to protect public health, safety, and welfare. 

ASCE Policy Statement 409
First Approved in 1993