In an increasingly populated and urbanized world that also has to cope with extreme weather events, the pressure on cities and their infrastructure is growing. Strengthening the resilience of cities is largely a question of anticipating risks rather than simply repairing the damage: this preventive approach is central to the partnership between Veolia and Swiss Ré.
Under the auspices of the Rockefeller Foundation, this partnership aims to protect cities’ critical infrastructure in the event of a natural disaster. With their complementary expertise, Veolia and Swiss Ré are able to assess risks, identify the most essential and vulnerable infrastructure, and co-develop resilience strategies with the municipalities concerned.
This approach not only allows cities to reduce their exposure to risk, it also means they are able to recover more quickly from disasters, thus limiting its economic impact. A valuable asset that makes the city more attractive and lends a competitive advantage.
A pilot project is under development in New Orleans which will significantly reduce the financial impact of a disaster similar to Katrina hurricane that hit the city in 2005.
