Extreme weather events and their consequences confront us with the reality of climate change and its impact on our lives. It is undeniable that we will have to find solutions to curb the effects of climate change, but above all to prepare for it and adapt to it collectively.
Following the floods that hit Quebec hard in the spring and the forest fires that continue to wreak havoc in the province while affecting air quality, the notion of climate adaptation has resurfaced once again. within political discourse.
While many voices are rising to demand more investment for climate adaptation, the recurrence of extreme weather events convinces us of the importance of thinking about solutions and working together in order to act upstream and better prepare. The measures and guidelines announced by governments for climate adaptation such as the Quebec National Architecture and Land Use Policy and the Canada’s National Adaptation Strategy are the first steps in a necessary process.
Government investments will be used in the short term to upgrade municipal infrastructures in order to maximize their lifespan and ensure public safety.
We must have a medium and long-term vision by investing in research to arrive at innovative solutions that will make it possible to build infrastructures that are better adapted to future climate conditions, while reducing their environmental footprint in order to contribute to reducing impacts.
According to the report Canada in a Changing Climate: Advancing Our Knowledge for Action, 1 “A warmer climate will intensify some extreme weather conditions in the future. Extremely hot temperatures will become more frequent and intense. This will increase the severity of heat waves and contribute to increased risk of droughts and wildfires. »
Mitigate impacts
University research offers us ways to resolve these issues, but even more, it ensures that we train the experts and the qualified workforce who can contribute concretely to mitigating the negative impacts of global warming.
Progress in the development of new innovative and sustainable solutions is essential to refine current models to better understand the impacts of climate change, to then guide the design of infrastructures, so that what we build today is adapted to the climate. of the next few decades. Thus, we consider that the urgency to act should not hinder the establishment of a longer-term vision. This is why a national reflection must be established on the challenges and the innovative solutions to be provided, reflection which, we believe, must necessarily include collaborative research.
It is essential that all stakeholders, the different levels of government, the private sector, civil society and research institutes work together to develop the programs that will allow us to fight against climate change while adapting to this new reality to ensure our safety and maintain our quality of life.
1. Bush, E. and DS Lemmen, eds. Canada’s Changing Climate ReportGovernment of Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, 2019, 446 p.