class 9.2 Flashcards
WHAT IS A HAZARD?
A natural or human-induced physical event or trend that may cause loss of life, injury or other health impacts, as well as damage and loss to property, infrastructure, livelihoods, service provision, ecosystems and environmental resources. (IPCC)
EXTREME HEAT EFFECTS
Deadliest and most direct impact of climate change.
During heat waves we see spikes in illness and deaths.
Very economically costly – urban heat stress is projected to reduce labor capacity by 20% during hot months by 2050.
Disproportionately affects certain groups: low-income, elderly, children, socially isolated, unhoused, outdoor workers, people with chronic illnesses or disabilities.
IMPACTS OF EXTREME HEAT
- Higher rates of illness and death (elderly living alone, young children, mental illness, chronic illness, outdoor workers, unhoused)
- High demand for electricity and risks of power outages
- Stress on roadways, runways
- Buckling railway tracks
- Urban tree and vegetation stress
- Algae blooms and stress on aquatic ecosystems
URBAN FLOODING
Fluvial flooding
Pluvial Flooding
Coastal Flooding
QUALITIES THAT INCREASE FLOOD EXPOSURE
Impermeable surface coverage in urban areas
Clustering of economic assets, people, critical infrastructure
located along major bodies of water
With no adaptation, total losses could amount to how much per year due to flooding in 2050?
what about with adaptations
without: $1T
with: $52B
Rising sea levels driven by:
- Thermal expansion of ocean water
- Melting ice sheets (Greenland, Antarctica)
- Melting glaciers and ice caps (especially in the Canadian Arctic!)
- NOT melting sea ice or icebergs
Local sea level rise is affected by regional factors like:
- Land subsidence
- Upward land movement
examples of storms
- Hurricanes & tropical cyclones
- Ice storms
- Snowstorms
- Thunderstorms
- Tornadoes
impacts of storms
- Public safety
- Buildings
- Infrastructure
- Electricity grids
- Food security
Cascading event
happen when an extreme event triggers secondary types of impacts
These types of impacts are increasing in urban areas
why do we need to adapt?
Funding for adaptation lags mitigation, even as the costs of climate change grow.
Proactive adaptation will save money in the long-run!
Federation of Canadian Municipalities estimates that every $1 spent on adaptation saves $6 in avoided damages.
HOW ARE MITIGATION AND ADAPTATION DIFFERENT?
mitigation:
- global goals
- shifting energy systems
- directly measurable
adaptation:
- regional and local goals
- shifting all systems
- no single metrics
Impact and vulnerability assessment
major step in preparing an adaptation strategy
a systematic way to identify consequences of climate change, and risks to communities
steps of Impact and vulnerability assessment
- exposure: How will climate change affect a community?
- sensitivity: What aspects of the community could be affected?
- potential impacts: To what extent will the impact affect the community?
- adaptive capacity: To what degree is the community prepared for
the impacts of climate change?
HEAT ALERT AND RESPONSE SYSTEMS
Issue public health alerts when temperatures exceed a certain threshold
Advise people on how to stay safe in the heat.
Mobilize cooling centres and wellness checks on vulnerable people
Montreal Public Health Department’s heat response plan has been in place since when
2004
City of Montreal created its own heat wave plan when
in 2019
Urban greening
creates networks of public and private green spaces
Aim is to use nature-based solutions to reduce urban heat island effect and extreme temperatures
Vegetation provides shade and dissipates heat by increasing evapotranspiration
examples of urban greening
Public parks
Urban tree canopy
Green roofs
Protection of natural spaces
building designs that will counteract effects of heating
Building orientation
Reducing the ratio of interior space to exterior walls
Insulation
Shade structures and interior blinds
Reflecting surface materials
Cool roofs (green/white roofs)
Mechanical cooling (heat pumps)
urban designs that will counteract effects of heating
Reducing/eliminating parking lot requirements improves albedo
Light-colored pavement
Ventilation corridors improves air flow and heat dissipation
North/south street orientation reduces sun exposure
Water features (e.g. splash pads, fountains)
Walkability to reduce waste heat from vehicles
ADAPTING TO FLOOD RISK
- Resist
- Accommodate
- Retreat
- Avoid
HISTORICALLY FLOOD MANAGEMENT
WAS ABOUT WHAT?
resistance
WHERE DOES THE WATER GO?
Often it’s directed to:
- Areas considered lower value.
- Other communities.
CAN FLOOD WATER BE ACCOMMODATED IN SOME WAY?
- Raising flood construction levels of buildings
- Building flood water storage capacity, like retention ponds or
water plazas - Nature-based solutions like protecting and restoring wetlands
autonomous retreat to flood
People relocate individually to safer places
coordinated retreat to flood
Government programs to move people or assets.
Government buy-out programs
HOW DO WE AVOID FUTURE RISK?
- Strengthen land use regulations to prevent construction of new infrastructure in at-risk areas
- Use pricing and mandatory disclosures to disincentivize construction and property purchases in high risk areas & share the costs of flood risk management with individuals and the private sector.
Where is adaptation emerging?
Adaptation is emerging in most regions, particularly in Africa and Asia
Urban adaptation is mostly found in the Global North – Canada, Europe, US
–> urban adaptation is under-developed in the most quickly urbanizing regions
WE’RE NOT SEEING LARGE-SCALE ADAPTATION (YET?)
No region shows evidence of widespread adaptation.
Most adaptation is very local, very small-scale.
Most actions deal with short-term risk management, rather than root causes of risk like urban development patterns.
Adaptation often doesn’t address the needs of groups who are most vulnerable to climate change (e.g. the urban poor, women, persons with disabilities, etc.) S
