The Gathering Storm expansion pack for Sid Meier’s Civilization VI transforms the environment into an active element to contend with as you strive to build your empire. From rivers that burst their banks to housing shortages brought on by natural disasters, a barrage of new ecological threats awaits.

Beating back the storm will require new strategies. Here are a few global principles to apply to your game.

This new ecology introduces unique risks and rewards alike. Building near a river delta, for example, may expose your settlement to floods, but floods leave behind fertile land. And making improvements to structures after disasters boosts Era Points—earn enough and you’ll usher in a Golden Age of great productivity.

So look around before you plant your next settlement. Coastal cities are vital for exploring the high seas but are prone to tropical storms. Desert, plains, and tundra provide unique resources but are susceptible to drought, sandstorms, and blizzards, respectively.

Hurricanes, floods, and other natural disasters can be cataclysmic—but they don’t need to be if you have a Builder in place.

One Builder contains three build charges and can be used to create a new structure three times. But repairing damage doesn’t drain a charge. Place a Builder with a single charge near tiles that are prone to disaster or attack. When the inevitable happens, the Builder will keep your civilization on track.

The World Climate screen keeps you up to date on carbon dioxide levels, global temperature, polar ice, sea levels, and other stats. Once you reach the Modern Era, climate change becomes an existential threat to your civilization and the world.

But don’t assume only oil-burning inventions affect the climate. Decisions you make before the modern age also have consequences. It might be tempting to deforest large areas of land to build farms, for example, but forests will keep CO2 levels in check later in the game.

Advanced technology also makes a difference. Using renewable energy sources, for example, minimizes your environmental impact. The advanced Flood Barrier building protects coastal cities—which is crucial because submerged tiles can never be recovered.

Climate change is a global phenomenon, so use your influence at the World Congress to make other civilizations go green. With enough clout, you can even bring about a ban on pollution-producing buildings.