Approved by the Infrastructure and Research Policy Committee on March 27, 2023
Approved by the Public Policy and Practice Committee on June 15, 2023
Adopted by the Board of Direction on July 22, 2023
Issue
The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) supports funding for additional basic and applied research efforts and the development of national standards in support of design, construction, operations, and management initiatives that increase the reliability, safety, security, resilience, and survivability of the nation’s infrastructure against natural and human-induced disasters.
Issue
Natural and human-induced disasters have repeatedly demonstrated the vulnerability of infrastructure. The United States government needs to address infrastructure vulnerability in order to make infrastructure critical to the U.S. economy safer, secure, and more resilient. The federal funding of research and standards is insufficient to provide the resources necessary to identify the most effective ways to mitigate natural and human-induced hazards. Such funding is critical to the nation’s infrastructure and to the health and safety of the nation and its citizens.
Rationale
The civil engineering profession is responsible for designing, building, and maintaining the nation’s infrastructure. Thus, ASCE is obligated to assist with the development and implementation of new strategies and technologies for mitigating the impact of future disasters on the nation’s infrastructure.
ASCE Policy Statement 493
First Approved in 2002