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people to change locations in response to both environmental and economic drivers;
new points of resilience and new vulnerabilities are created in different locations with
obscure unanticipated effects. Because infrastructure systems are complex systems of
systems, study is suggested about the unanticipated couplings and interactions caused
by new mitigation and adaptation strategies
E. Emerging Leadership In Adaptation/Resilience Enhancement
Finally, urban areas mater profoundly in the fact that a number of cities are becoming
the nation's leaders in exploring adaptive strategies for infrastructure systems threat-
ened by environmental and other stresses (see section VI regarding risk management
strategies below).
F. Assessment Findings
Regarding implications of climate change for urban systems in the United States, we
find that:
• Urban systems are vulnerable to extreme weather events that will become more
intense, frequent, and/or longer-lasting with climate change
See Section IV A, C, D
High consensus, strong evidence
• Urban systems are vulnerable to climate change impacts on regional infrastruc-
tures on which they depend
See Section IV A, C, D
High consensus, strong evidence
• Urban systems and services will be affected by disruptions in relatively distant
locations due to linkages through national infrastructure networks and the
national economy
See Section III C 3
High consensus, strong evidence
• Cascading system failures related to infrastructure interdependencies will
increase threats to health and local economies in urban areas, especially in loca-
tions vulnerable to extreme weather events
See Sections III C 3, 4
Section IV C, D
High consensus, moderate evidence
• Such effects will be especially problematic for parts of the population that are
more vulnerable because of limited coping capacities
High consensus, strong evidence
See Section III C 2 and IV C
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