GAO added as a high-risk item the need to limit the federal government’s fiscal exposure to risks posed by climate change. It said climate changes poses significant financial risks as the federal government owns extensive infrastructure including defense installations, ensures property through the National Flood Insurance Program and provides emergency aid in response to natural disasters.
The federal government is not well positioned to address the fiscal exposure presented by climate change and needs a government-wide strategic approach with strong leadership to manage related risks, GAO concluded.
A related area it added to the high-risk list is gaps in weather satellite data, concluding that potential gaps beginning as early as 2014 and lasting as long as 53 months have raised concerns that future weather forecasts and warnings, including those for hurricanes, storm surges, and floods, will be less accurate and timely.
A number of decisions are needed to ensure that contingency and continuity plans will be implemented effectively, said GAO.
