The next decade will be critical for adaptation to the effects of the climate crisis in Quebec municipalities. The needs amount to 10 billion dollars and the bulk of this sum will have to be devoted to road and water management infrastructures, concludes a study commissioned by the Union of Quebec Municipalities (UMQ) and obtained by The duty. However, the Legault government has still not taken the measure of the urgency, denounce elected officials.
Even if it manages to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by investing billions of dollars in public funds, Quebec will be hit hard by the effects of climate change. Scientists point to an increase in the number and duration of deadly heat waves, more intense rainfall, more periods of freezing and thawing, increased risk of flooding and worsening coastal erosion.
Municipalities, large and small, are already confronted with many of these phenomena. “We are very aware of the impacts of climate change on our territory and our citizens. We take our responsibilities and we act. But the government of Quebec has to come and help us, because we have to look the situation in the face: the impacts will be greater in the years to come, ”insists the mayor of Montreal, Valérie Plante, in an interview with the Duty.
Same story on the side of the first vice-president of the UMQ, Martin Damphousse. “If we don’t find the means to adapt, the impacts will be significant, but the costs will be astronomical,” he summarizes.
Even if we decided to take the threat seriously, the bill promises to be very heavy for public finances, according to a new study produced by the firm WSP at the request of the UMQ. This specifies adaptation needs by 2035. WSP experts estimate that the costs for municipalities will reach $2 billion per year, with an annual peak that could exceed $2.5 billion for at least least three consecutive years by the end of the decade.
Above all, the study sheds light on the priorities for action for the next decade, when “certain essential municipal infrastructures will approach the end of their useful life”. In this context, consideration should be given to a “resilient upgrade” or replacement. “Without adequate adaptation, WSP fears that municipal infrastructure will deteriorate faster, fail more and be more costly in a future climate,” warns their analysis.
The firm estimates that road infrastructure will represent 43% of financing needs by 2035. Together, wastewater (30%), drinking water (14%) and rainwater (10%) infrastructure, however, occupy first place, with 54% of needs.
In order to be able to manage more abundant rainwater, it will be necessary, for example, to install more imposing pipes and to develop new networks, when these are not separated from the sewer networks. The latter will also have to be replaced and will face increased water treatment costs. An acceleration of the “deterioration” of drinking water supply infrastructures, problems of access to the resource for certain municipalities and an increase in the bill for treatment are also expected.
More abused than ever, especially by freeze-thaw cycles, roads and bridges will require more preventive maintenance. It will also be necessary to choose materials that are better suited to warmer climates, to review the techniques used for reconstruction and to better predict the risks associated with erosion, in particular coastal erosion.
The mayor of Carleton-sur-Mer, Mathieu Lapointe, fears significant costs attributable to erosion, which he already observes in his Gaspé municipality. “We will need the help of other levels of government. When it comes to infrastructure, relocation needs or shoreline protection, we are talking about major investments. As an example, he cites the need to preserve the “vital link” that is Route 132, which, in certain sectors, is directly exposed to accelerated erosion and submersion.
Insufficient funds
According to data provided by the Ministry of the Environment, the Fight against Climate Change, Wildlife and Parks, the Green Economy Plan (PEV) currently provides $647.3 million over the 2022-2027 period. “for actions that contribute to the adaptation of Quebec”. This amount represents 8.5% of the 7.6 billion spent on the Legault government’s EPI.
In its most recent budget, however, Quebec added $1.4 billion. What part will be devoted to adaptation? The ministry declined to elaborate, saying the 2023-2028 implementation plan “will be unveiled in the coming weeks.”
The elected officials challenged by The duty are nevertheless unanimous: the funds necessary for the adaptation are simply not there. “Prime Minister François Legault repeats that his government has earmarked $9 billion for its climate plan. But in this amount, there is a lot of money for the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, and about 650 million for adaptation. And this is an envelope for the entire province. It does not work, ”argues Martin Damphousse.
“Available studies tell us that we need to invest at least $2 billion a year. The funds provided are therefore clearly insufficient, ”also insists Valérie Plante. “Sums are being invested to reduce GHG emissions, which is very important. But we must not neglect adaptation. I believe that the government must better understand the issues and the impacts on the populations, but also the costs. »