Giving Compass' Take:

• The threat of superstorms caused by climate change lends urgency to the need to upgrade New York's aging water infrastructure.

• How can philanthropy help cities be proactive in disaster preparedness instead of reactive disaster relief?

• Learn how to make an impact on climate resilience in the South.

As climate change continues to impact cities and communities everywhere in the world, weather trends strongly suggest that superstorms such as Sandy will only get worse. While technology has not come up with a solution to prevent the next superstorm there are things we can to do to make our own homes, businesses, cities, counties, and country more resilient.

In the New York City metro area, this could not be more urgent. Hurricane season is around the corner, and much of the Big Apple’s residential and commercial structures have not been updated or fortified for 100 years or longer.

While investment will be required for upgrading the city’s infrastructure, there is also a cost of inaction. An estimated 20% of the city’s treated water leaks out of decaying city pipes before ever reaching homes and businesses. Meanwhile, the City is forced to address hundreds of water main breaks every year, most on an emergency basis driving up costs even further.

Water safety has become a serious issue as it’s estimated that the City has 45,000 lead pipes and recent reporting indicates that 8% of water outlets in schools expose children to dangerously high levels of neurotoxins.

If water safety alone was not reason enough to act, there is also the perilous impact of future superstorms, caused by our planet’s changing climate.

It has been estimated that successfully upgrading New York City’s water infrastructure would cost around $38.7 billion over a period of two decades. While that much money is competing with other City priorities, it is a bargain considering the damage caused by even one superstorm, in terms of incremental dollars that will have to be spent, property destruction, lost worker productivity, and most importantly lives lost.

Read the full article about disaster preparedness in New York by Dan Squiller at TriplePundit.