Brown Bag Presentation: Approaches to Risk and Resilience Assessments

Join the APWA WA Sustainability & Resiliency Committee’s virtual presentation November 18th at noon:

National Approaches to Risk and Resilience Assessments: From Methodology to Action

Abstract: Public agencies and utility owners face increasing pressure to understand and manage risks from natural hazards, climate change, cyber threats, infrastructure dependencies, and other disruptive events. Risk assessments provide a structured framework for evaluating these threats and identifying investments that improve system reliability and operational continuity.

This presentation provides an overview of nationally recognized approaches used to assess risk and resilience across critical infrastructure systems. Attendees will be introduced to the fundamentals of threat-asset pair characterization, likelihood estimation, consequence analysis, vulnerability assessment, and risk prioritization, illustrating how these components combine to support informed decision-making. The presentation will explore the American Water Works Association (AWWA) ANSI/J100 Risk and Resilience Assessment methodology and compare it with emerging approaches, including the Transportation Asset Risk & Resilience (TARR) Manual, through NCHRP 23-32.

Drawing from real-world applications, the session will demonstrate how agencies have applied these methodologies to evaluate a range of threats. Participants will learn how risk assessments can be translated into actionable mitigation strategies, capital improvement priorities, emergency preparedness initiatives, and resilience improvement plans. Attendees will leave with a practical understanding of how national risk assessment frameworks can be leveraged to strengthen critical infrastructure systems and improve organizational resilience.

Please join us on Teams for a ‘brown bag’ presentation followed by time for Q&A and committee input.