Drought, deluge, and data

Governments, public sector leaders, and their constituents increasingly face a relentless barrage of climate-related events—including devastating floods, hurricanes and typhoons, prolonged droughts, and catastrophic wildfires. These events test the resilience of institutions and communities. The lessons of recent years make one thing clear: the ability to anticipate and prepare for shocks before they occur is just as critical as the capacity to respond and recover afterward.

Resilience means anticipating, adapting, and enabling the right response before a crisis even begins.

This report builds on our first set of case studies, Resilience in action, which highlights new government readiness approaches. This latest set of case studies offers fresh perspectives from the front lines of managing climate-driven events—illustrating how innovative, technology-driven, and collaborative approaches have strengthened resilience across different environments: 

• Texas’ flood mapping initiative demonstrates how engaging local communities in data collection improves emergency preparedness in historically underserved areas.
• Colorado’s integrated water and land use planning showcases how governments proactively address long-term environmental threats such as droughts through collaboration across traditional silos and advanced decision-support tools.
• Jakarta’s crowdsourced flood response platform illustrates the power of digital technology and civic engagement in real-time disaster response.

The common thread: resilience is not a passive trait—it is a deliberate strategy. Governments that integrate forward-looking risk assessments, cross-sector partnerships, and digital innovations into their operational models will be better positioned to navigate the uncertainties of the future.

Resilience is not a passive trait—it is a deliberate strategy.

In addition to these stories, the report includes timely insights from emergency management experts who have responded to recent US disasters—including Hurricane Helene and the California wildfires. It also explores the opportunity to make high-precision climate modeling accessible to communities worldwide through NASA’s open-source foundation model. 

Download the report to see real-world examples of resilience by design. Learn how public sector leaders can mitigate disruption and drive proactive governance in an era of continuous uncertainty. An action guide presents concrete steps for leaders across sectors to take to build a safer, more climate-resilient future.