GAO to Army Corps: Make climate resilience a core value - E&E News by POLITICO
GAO to Army Corps: Make climate resilience a core value - E&E News by POLITICO
Federal investigators on Thursday recommended a set of sweeping reforms to the Army Corps of Engineers’ flood control programs to better prepare U.S. communities from worsening climate impacts.
In a 105-page report, the Government Accountability Office identified 14 options for the Army Corps to respond more effectively to flood disasters that are becoming more frequent and destructive.
105-page report
Top of the list was GAO’s suggestion that the Army Corps incorporate climate resilience into its everyday operations.
The benefits of that approach would be increased “oversight and accountability” of climate fortification efforts, according to the report. But the GAO warned this step would not be effective “without dedicated climate resilience staff with expertise at all agency levels.”
Related Knowledge Center: Climate legislation
The federal government and states are in the process of implementing two laws — the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and the Inflation Reduction Act — an investment of more than a trillion dollars to address climate change.