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GAO-23-105452 1 (2022-10-18)

handle is hein.gao/gaonxe0001 and id is 1 raw text is: GAOU.S. GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY OFFICE 441 G St. N.W. Washington, DC 20548 October 18, 2022 The Honorable Robert Menendez Chairman Committee on Foreign Relations United States Senate Overseas Real Property: State's Initial Assessment of Natural Hazard Risks Faced by its Posts Dear Mr. Chairman: Climate change and increasingly frequent and extreme weather events have caused a surge in global natural disasters over the past 50 years, according to a 2021 report by the World Meteorological Organization.1 The U.S. Department of State has concluded that natural hazards may pose a threat to the safety and security of its overseas diplomatic assets, consisting of more than 90,000 personnel and properties valued at approximately $70 billion in over 290 locations.2 According to State, the increasing number and severity of natural hazards due to climate change heightens the risk of damage to State's overseas locations (posts) and real property assets, including the office buildings, support facilities, and staff residences that comprise these posts. In 2020, State established a Climate Security and Resilience program (CS&R) within State's Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations (OBO) to assess natural hazard risk, and proactively facilitate the identification, planning, and implementation of natural hazard adaptation measures at U.S. posts.3 As part of those efforts, OBO assesses a variety of natural hazards expected to affect its posts located in 180 countries.4 For example, a recent OBO study found that, from 2021 to 2035, the number of its facilities affected by extreme heat could more than double.5 In 'See World Meteorological Organization, Atlas of Mortality and Economic Losses from Weather, Climate, and Water Extremes 1970-2019, WMO-No. 1267 (Geneva: 2021). 2State's assessment of natural hazards uses the term natural hazards to refer to all such hazards, regardless of whether they are attributable to climate change. 30BO acts as State's overseas real property manager in acquiring, designing, building, operating, and maintaining the department's real property assets at U.S. embassies and consulates (posts). OBO's mission is to provide safe, secure, functional, and resilient facilities that represent the U.S. government to the host nation and support the department's achievement of U.S. foreign policy objectives abroad. 4The eight natural hazards OBO currently considers in its global risk assessment are coastal flooding, riverine flooding, extreme heat, extreme wind, tsunami, earthquake, landslide, and water stress. OBO is currently investigating others, such as volcano and wildfire, for future inclusion. 5See U.S. Department of State, Application of Mass Timber, Rammed Aggregate Earth, and Climate Security in Diplomatic Buildings (Washington, D.C.: March 29, 2021). GAO-23-105452 State Natural Hazard Assessment Page 1

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