By Rutger Perdon
From subway tunnels in New York to dikes in the Netherlands and power stations in South Asia, critical infrastructure everywhere is under mounting stress. The pressures brought on by climate change – rising sea levels, more intense rainfall, longer droughts – are testing the very systems societies rely on for safety, prosperity, and daily life. What were once considered exceptional weather events are now arriving with increasing frequency, exposing vulnerabilities in infrastructure that was often designed for a different era.
For governments, planners, and investors, the question is no longer if climate impacts will hit infrastructure, but how prepared assets are to withstand them. The good news is that resilience is not an abstract ideal; it can be engineered directly into new infrastructure, or in the case of existing infrastructure, adaptation measures can often be implemented.
In this article I look at three areas – groundwater, floods, and foundations – where engineering and adaptation are key to improving climate resilience.
Flood modelling: precision that saves lives and right-sizes budgets
Flooding remains the most costly and widespread natural hazard worldwide and is an increasing threat. Analysis from the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction has found the number of recorded flood-related disasters has risen by 134% compared with the two previous decades.
Planning approaches often rely on limited data, frequently leading to overly conservative assumptions, making it more difficult to justify investments and causing project initiation to take longer than needed. Accurate data acquisition and advanced flood modelling change that equation. By combining high-resolution topographic data, cutting-edge hydrodynamic models, and real-time monitoring, today’s tools can deliver very precise risk profiles. They also allow governments and utilities to ‘right-size’ their investments, targeting interventions to the areas and assets that matter most. And in those cases where better data and models might show increased risk profiles at certain locations, there is stronger justification for why investments of any kind are needed.
Beyond economics, flood modelling equips decision-makers with more detailed cost-benefit insights, supporting political consensus and community trust. In practice, that means adaptation measures implemented in a way and where they are most effective, accurate early warning systems, effective policies that save lives, and resilient urban spaces designed to adapt rather than retreat.
Groundwater: the hidden factor beneath our feet
While floods make headlines, another water-related risk often unfolds more quietly: the impact of fluctuating groundwater on infrastructure stability. In places like the Netherlands, falling groundwater levels have already reduced the expected lifespan of more than 400,000 buildings, as certain types of foundations – namely, wooden piles – and peat and clay soils – can dry out and degrade.
The challenge is that groundwater is invisible, levels are changing, and it is governed by multiple demands and complex subsurface dynamics. Without data, it is nearly impossible to anticipate how construction projects, changing demands, or climate shifts will affect foundations or other types of groundwater-dependent activities such as drinking water reserves, nature, and agriculture.
Here, predictive monitoring networks make the difference. By combining geological, geophysical, and geohydrological insights, authorities can build a real-time picture of aquifer behaviour and subsidence risks. Bring in predictive capabilities, and suddenly that data can be turned into early warnings, helping infrastructure and water managers anticipate problems before they undermine, for example, structural safety.
For planners and asset owners, this is not just an engineering safeguard but also a financial one. They must protect billion-dollar assets against slow, hidden forces that could otherwise erode their value.
Monitoring assets in real time: extending life and service
The resilience conversation cannot stop at new construction. Around the world, the majority of infrastructure is already built and much of it is ageing. Roads, bridges, ports, and power plants are facing stresses they were not designed to endure, brought on by modern loads, climate changes, and exceptional weather events.
Digital monitoring technologies provide a way forward. Using sensors, satellite Earth observation, and digital twins, infrastructure operators can continuously track structural health and climate exposure. This transforms maintenance from reactive to proactive. Instead of waiting for failures, managers can intervene early, extending the lifespan of assets while avoiding costly downtime.
Resilience as a core design principle
What emerges from these lessons is clear: resilience cannot be treated as an optional add-on. That means embedding the right data and tools at every stage, from early planning and investment decisions to design, construction, and long-term operation.
For policymakers, the case is straightforward: climate-resilient infrastructure safeguards public safety, reduces long-term costs, and strengthens the investment case for sustainable growth. For investors, it de-risks capital and reduces uncertainties in operational costs, ensuring that projects remain viable under uncertain future conditions. The private sector will see more reliable and resilient operations. For communities, it offers not just protection but confidence, the assurance that the bridges, utilities, and buildings they depend on will be functioning tomorrow, no matter the climate challenges ahead.
The opportunity is to rethink resilience as both an engineering challenge and an economic one. With advanced modelling, real-time monitoring, and a deeper understanding of – for example – water dynamics, governments and planners have the tools to deliver infrastructure that is not only cost-effective and reliable but also built to last in a changing world.
The author
Rutger Perdon is Industry Lead for Climate at Fugro.
