(OTTAWA) Governments in Canada should view the oppressive heat as a “natural disaster” as climate change increases the risk of rising temperatures across much of the country, experts say.
Posted at 6:15 p.m.
A new report, by experts from the Intact Center on Climate Adaptation at the University of Waterloo, concludes that “Canadian alarm bells should be ringing” about the risks of intense heat.
“Extreme heat is like some kind of impending disaster,” said lead author Joanna Eyquem, executive director of climate-resilient infrastructure at the Intact Centre.
“We pay a lot of attention to floods and, of course, to fires, which cause a lot of material damage. But I think extreme heat is in a category of its own, and the cost of extreme heat is people’s health and death. It’s something that we don’t really have in this country with our natural disasters. »
The Federal Government’s Natural Disasters website provides links to information pages on floods, wildfires, hail, earthquakes, icebergs, landslides, avalanches, tornadoes, tsunamis, storm surges, winter storms and even volcanic eruptions. But nothing about oppressive heat, even though it has proven deadlier and more common in Canada than most other natural threats.
The heat wave that hit British Columbia last summer claimed nearly 600 lives, including 526 in a single week at the end of June. In 2018, in Quebec, 89 people died because of the oppressive heat, most of them in disadvantaged neighborhoods of Montreal, where air conditioning was scarce and heat islands numerous.
The Ontario government has been criticized for not properly tabulating heat-related deaths, which are often recorded as heart attacks or other chronic illnesses, many of which can become quickly fatal when intense heat hits. Hot air also leads to poor air quality, affecting people with respiratory problems like asthma.
The Intact Center report indicates that the effects of extreme heat will be felt by mid-century across much of Canada, especially of course in southern Quebec and Ontario, in the Prairies along the US border and southern British Columbia. More than 17 million people live in the urban centers most exposed to extreme heat events, according to the report.
More and longer episodes
Between 1976 and 2005, Windsor, Ontario experienced an average of about 25 days above 30°C in one summer. By 2050, this warm period is expected to reach 60 to 79 days. In Regina, the number of days above 30°C could increase from less than 20 to more than 50; in Montreal, from ten days to between 35 and 54.
The maximum temperature in Kelowna, British Columbia was 35°C between 1976 and 2005. Climate change could push this temperature beyond 40°C by 2051.
The duration of heat waves is also expected to increase: the average heat wave in Kelowna lasted about six days before 2005, but is expected to nearly double to more than 11 days by 2051. In Ottawa, heat waves, which lasted an average of five days, could extend beyond eight days by the middle of the century. However, the longer the extreme heat lasts, the more dangerous it becomes, also warn experts from the University of Waterloo.
The report outlines dozens of actions that individuals, businesses and governments can take to mitigate this threat, including better emergency planning and high or extreme heat warning systems.
Citizens can also plant trees to create shade, install blinds, add heat-absorbing building materials, install green or white roofs, and already plan scenarios for getting through heat waves safely, such as enjoying air conditioning in the library.
Governments, on the other hand, must incorporate heat concerns into building and planning codes, have public shading options such as trees or artificial canopies, and ensure that there are systems water-based cooling, such as ponds and sprinklers.
Backup power sources to prevent outages during extreme weather conditions are also essential, the report adds. “If an extreme heat event coincides with an extended power outage — without power to air conditioners and fans — lack of preparation could lead to many deaths,” experts warn.
Professor Eyquem reminds us that many of these gestures can duplicate or combine usefulness with pleasure. For example, trees and parks improve citizens’ quality of life and can also reduce flood damage.