# Resilient andAdaptive Communities

**Source**: https://engineering.rice.edu/research-faculty/research-focus-areas/resilient-and-adaptive-communities
**Parent**: https://engineering.rice.edu/

RESEARCH FOCUS AREAS

# Resilient and **Adaptive Communities**

We’re solving for smarter cities with more equitable disaster response. By 2050, 68 percent of the human race will live in urban environments. The interplay of urbanization, climate change, and technology present unique opportunities for us to reimagine our cities and their infrastructure. Research at Rice Engineering focuses on adapting urban cities around the world to a changing environment and preparing them for disaster recovery.

Rice engineers partner with city leaders to make Houston an example of a resilient and adaptive community. The [SSPEED Center](https://www.sspeed.rice.edu/) (Severe Storm Prediction, Education & Evacuation from Disasters) focuses on early warning systems and flood mitigation technologies, while [Houston Wastewater Epidemiology](https://hou-wastewater-epi.org/) monitors the city’s wastewater for infectious pathogens.

## Real World **Impact**

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[Houston publishes public health response plan for pathogen detection in wastewater](https://www.hou-wastewater-epi.org/news/houston-publishes-public-health-response-plan-pathogen-detection-wastewater)

[Understanding Shifts and Trends in Wasterwater](https://www.hou-wastewater-epi.org/news/understanding-shifts-and-trends-wastewater)

[SSPEED Center, Rice Engineering to launch nature-based carbon credit research projects](https://news.rice.edu/news/2024/sspeed-center-rice-engineering-launch-nature-based-carbon-credit-research-projects)

[Brazilian students explore AI and infrastructure resiliency at Rice amid Hurricane Beryl](https://news.rice.edu/news/2024/brazilian-students-explore-ai-and-infrastructure-resiliency-rice-amid-hurricane-beryl)

[Viens organizes first symposium on agrarian sustainability in Nigeria’s Lake Chad region](https://engineering.rice.edu/news/viens-organizes-first-symposium-agrarian-sustainability-nigerias-lake-chad-region)

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[Phil Bedient honored by Coastal Prairie Conservancy](https://engineering.rice.edu/news/phil-bedient-honored-coastal-prairie-conservancy)