The recently passed Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act presents a unique opportunity for the U.S. to improve its transportation, water, communication, and energy systems. To demonstrate an approach for informing these investments with sound science and engineering as well as community, industry, and government input, the National Academies are convening a series of workshops, the first of which was held last November. 

Focused on the Gulf of Mexico region, the workshop brought together a diverse group of experts from the public and private sectors. Participants used two scenarios — a hurricane and a protracted oil spill — to identify infrastructure vulnerabilities and discuss ways to prioritize investments to reduce those vulnerabilities.

Investing in Resilient Infrastructure in the Gulf of Mexico: Proceedings of a Workshop summarizes those discussions and key take-aways from the workshop. The new publication also illustrates a process that could be employed by federal agencies and their partners in other jurisdictions to identify and prioritize investments in infrastructure resilience.

The workshop and publication mark the beginning of the National Academies’ Infrastructure Investment Prioritization Initiative, which aims to help leaders prioritize projects in ways that advance the nation’s resilience, equity, and economic vitality.   

The publication is available for immediate release. For inquiries, contact the Office of News and Public Information at tel. 202-334-2138 or e-mail news@nas.edu.