Executive Summary
The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) has issued a Call for Papers inviting researchers, engineers, and climate scientists to contribute to an upcoming collection focused on “Compound Hydroclimatic Extremes in a Changing Climate.” This initiative aims to improve understanding of how multiple interacting climate and hydrologic events, such as floods, droughts, and heatwaves, are changing under global climate change and what these shifts mean for infrastructure resilience.
Rising Complexity in Hydroclimatic Risks
Hydroclimatic extremes no longer occur separately. Across the globe, events such as heatwaves, droughts, and floods are increasingly occurring together, resulting in greater damage and disrupting vital systems. These combination events, such as prolonged droughts followed by heavy rainfall, can trigger chain reactions that challenge current models of hydrology, infrastructure, and risk management. Traditional approaches, which often view hazards as separate, are not well-equipped to predict the interconnected dynamics that arise in a rapidly changing climate.
The Goal of the ASCE Initiative
Through this new call for papers, ASCE aims to encourage innovative and interdisciplinary research that investigates the mechanisms, modeling methods, and engineering impacts of compound hydroclimatic events. The initiative invites studies that enhance understanding of multi-hazard interactions across different spatial and temporal scales, from local watershed dynamics to global climate systems. The objective is to integrate emerging science into practical tools that engineers, planners, and policymakers can use to enhance climate adaptation and infrastructure resilience.
Emerging Directions in Research and Practice
Scholars are increasingly emphasizing statistical and physical modeling techniques that can capture the combined behavior of multiple climate variables. Others are creating risk assessment frameworks that can measure multi-hazard exposure and uncertainty in future scenarios. Meanwhile, engineers are reconsidering design standards and resilience strategies to address overlapping climate threats that can push assets and systems beyond their original limits. Together, these efforts are laying the foundation for new policies and investments that incorporate compound-event science into planning and development.
Why This Matters
Understanding compound hydroclimatic extremes is essential for safeguarding infrastructure, ecosystems, and communities. As global warming accelerates, the frequency and intensity of interacting extremes are likely to increase, thereby raising both physical and financial risks. Incorporating this knowledge into engineering and governance systems will be vital for future-proofing assets and reducing systemic vulnerabilities across sectors.
Call to Action
ASCE invites contributions from the global research and engineering community to advance the science and practice of managing compound hydroclimatic extremes. By combining empirical evidence, modeling innovation, and applied case studies, contributors will help shape the next generation of resilient design standards and adaptation strategies.
(Source: American Society of Civil Engineers. (n.d.). Call for papers: Compound hydroclimatic extremes in a changing climate. ASCE Library. Retrieved October 21, 2025, from https://ascelibrary.org/jhyeff/cfp-hydroclimatic-extremes-changing-climate)
© 1996–2025 American Society of Civil Engineers. All rights reserved.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
- What are compound hydroclimatic extremes? Compound hydroclimatic extremes occur when multiple weather or climate events, such as floods, droughts, and heatwaves, happen simultaneously or sequentially, amplifying overall impacts on ecosystems, infrastructure, and communities.
- Why are compound hydroclimatic events increasing? Due to global climate change, atmospheric and hydrologic systems are becoming more interconnected. Rising temperatures intensify the water cycle, leading to more frequent and severe overlapping extremes such as droughts followed by intense rainfall.
- How do compound events affect infrastructure resilience? Traditional engineering standards often address single hazards. Compound events can overwhelm infrastructure systems, such as dams, power grids, and transportation networks, by exposing them to multiple stresses that exceed their original design thresholds.
- What is ASCE’s goal with this call for papers? The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) seeks innovative, interdisciplinary research to improve modeling, risk assessment, and adaptation strategies for managing compound hydroclimatic extremes under a changing climate.
- How can engineers and researchers contribute? Professionals can submit empirical studies, modeling frameworks, and case analyses that link scientific understanding of compound events to practical engineering applications, helping to shape resilient infrastructure and adaptive policy worldwide.
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