Introduction to Infrastructure

Abstract

This chapter introduces infrastructure, its definition and its benefits. Its importance arises from the services it provides directly to users, or to other infrastructure. Thus, infrastructure needs providers, users and may be interconnected. They may also create externalities, such as pollution. Apart technical infrastructure, an exposition of other types of infrastructure – environmental, economical, social, political, legal, health, ecological, educational, organisational just to name a few – are explained. Many people can manage without electricity, but nobody can live without water. This explains the notion of critical infrastructure, for which it is essential to consider better reliability and availability.