In recent years, the frequency and severity of disasters worldwide have markedly increased. Japan reported that July’s average temperature was 2.89°C above normal this year. Wildfires have damaged transmission lines, prolonging outages in populous regions.

Intensifying typhoons and heavy rains have brought more lightning strikes and landslides, further threatening power generation and transmission facilities. Thus, the stability of essential infrastructure like electricity and water is at growing risk.

These vulnerabilities also influence foreign investment decisions and pose an acute threat to economic growth in developing countries—making adaptation an urgent global issue.

The frequency and intensity of disasters are likely to increase. Infrastructure operators, therefore, must not only pursue long-term mitigation but also immediately implement adaptation strategies to limit damage.

As a practical example, Bangladesh recommends installing electric meters above past flood levels, preparing for inevitable flooding. In Japan, more municipalities now use remote sensing and drones to quickly identify disaster-affected areas. Although these adaptation measures cannot prevent all damage, they can significantly reduce the impact.

Investing in resilience can initially seem costly, leading to delayed decisions. However, as disasters become more frequent and severe, the costs of recovery can far exceed those of preventive adaptation.

For example, during Pakistan’s 2022 floods, damages and losses to infrastructure were estimated at around 4ドル billion and recovery needs were estimated at around 5ドル billion.

Because Japan recognizes the necessity of resilience investments, reflected in its infrastructure design, the country has achieved an exceptionally high supply reliability—annual average power outage per customer is just 10 minutes, even with frequent typhoons and earthquakes.

Tonga, one of the most vulnerable Pacific Island countries, has dramatically improved resilience thanks to adaptation investment in works such as bundling overhead lines for the distribution system. This minimizes damaged areas only to 5% of the upgraded grids, compared to 45% in other areas when hit by Tropical Cyclone Gita in 2018.

Electric power facilities, which are a basic lifeline, have been designed based on adaptation principles to minimize inevitable disaster-related damage.

Redundancy ensures continuous power supply. Operations continue even if one facility fails. Most transmission towers suspend two power lines, and electricity to metropolitan areas is routed via two separate paths. If one route is disabled, power can be restored quickly via the other. Because duplicating every component is not economical, redundancy is prioritized for critical facilities.

Protection relay systems quickly isolate faulty segments—whether lines or transformers—so accidents don’t cascade through the grid. Islanding relay systems (for transmission) and automatic reclosers (for distribution) are particularly useful in disaster scenarios.

Islanding can isolate city centers from the wider grid during major outages, keeping power flowing in essential areas like a temporary, large-scale microgrid. Automation at the distribution level allows rapid, remote restoration, reducing the need for on-site crews.

As disasters become more frequent and severe, the costs of recovery can far exceed those of preventive adaptation.

Central monitoring is enabled by technologies allowing round-the-clock remote oversight and control of the grid. This constant vigilance is vital for a timely response.

Adaptation design must further evolve. Ironically, decarbonization policies have introduced new vulnerabilities. Traditional power grids relied on rotating machinery (like thermal generators) to maintain frequency and provide inertia, helping the system absorb shocks.

As solar and wind generation (which use direct current and lack rotating mass) replace these generators, grid inertia declines. Now, even minor incidents risk escalating into widespread blackouts. Droughts, by reducing hydropower generation or another rotating machinery, further destabilize the balance.

Countries with fast-growing renewables, such as Pacific Island nations, Australia, and Spain, have already faced such risks. One strategy is to deploy inverters with "grid-forming" capability, which can autonomously stabilize grid frequency and voltage, for the solar and wind power plants.

Policymakers may need to speed up the adoption of such technologies, because of incidents like a recent large blackout in Spain in April 2025 which occurred when solar output exceeded demand. One of the causes seems to have been too few thermal generators online to regulate voltage. Grid-forming-equipped solar and wind power plants could help address this.

Regional interconnection, pursued to make decarbonization more economical, can also introduce new weaknesses. Because power outputs of renewables like wind fluctuate, grids need backup reserves—like fast batteries or hydropower—to fill supply gaps.

Europe, Southeast Asia, and Central Asia are developing interconnected grids not only for regular supply but also to share reserve capacity. However, as systems interconnect and automate, their complexity and opacity increase.

Power system operators may struggle to track how problems in one part of the network could rapidly cascade. A notable example: in November 2006, a grid incident in Germany led to outages across Europe.

To manage these risks, in addition to the enhanced usage of wide-area monitoring, regional coordination centers are being established.

Despite automation and artificial intelligence, restoration work still relies on people—linemen repairing storm-damaged lines, and power system dispatchers monitoring the grid and managing recovery strategies.

There is not yet enough data to fully automate such complex tasks. Ongoing training for these skilled workers, or investment in people, is vital. In Japan, the high standard of power supply is due in part to a tradition of investing in the development of such technical expertise, often requiring a decade to train an engineer.

Resilient infrastructure depends on both smart technology and strong institutions—upgrading grids, improving coordination, and building local skills are investments that safeguard growth in a world of rising risks.