Infrastructure Impacts: Huge Costs For Building, Raising or Relocating Dikes, Bridges, Roads,
Sewage Systems
Global warming will place significant strain on urban infrastructure. Sea level rise, changes in water supply, and increased
frequency of storms will require many cities to build or improve dikes and levees, raise roads and bridges, improve drainage
systems, invest in additional reservoirs, and improve wastewater treatment facilities.
Global warming could require additional urban infrastructure investments in the U.S. of as much as $10.8 billion (Cline, 1992,
p. 127). These costs will be required to respond to climate impacts on water supply, sewer, and drainage systems. Coastal
cities such as Miami, for example, could face hundreds of millions of dollars to raise roads and bridges, to repair or relocate
sewer pipes, to construct levees, and to improve drainage to protect them from the effects of sea level rise (U.S. EPA, 1989,
p. 241). New York City could face up to $3.7 billion to ensure safe drinking water (U.S. EPA, 1989, p. 243).
Global warming poses a significant threat to the long term efficacy of infrastructure investments made today. These are
investments that must be made now and are predicted to last for 50 to 100 years. Global warming, however, will likely place
demands on urban roads, bridges, and other parts of the infrastructure. It is important, therefore, to consider the potential for
global warming in water resource planning and other infrastructure investment decisions to avoid climate-change-related regrets
— and costs — later (U.S. OTA, p.234).
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