Canada not ready for climate change, report

warns
SHAWN MCCARTHY
OTTAWA The Globe and Mail
Published Sunday, Oct. 30, 2016 7:51PM EDT
Last updated Sunday, Oct. 30, 2016 7:51PM EDT

Canada is ill-prepared for the increased flooding and extreme weather that will occur
under climate change, and needs to act now or face much higher costs to fix damaged
buildings and infrastructure in the future, a new report warns.
The federal government is set to announce major infrastructure programs in its fall
update Tuesday, but Ottawa and the provinces have yet to properly assess how to make
the countrys transportation, electricity and water systems more resilient to the threat
from climate change, the University of Waterloos Intact Centre on Climate Adaptation
says in a report to be released Monday.
The Intact Centre evaluated provincial efforts to mitigate disasters from the flooding
that will be caused by extreme weather and rising sea levels. It concludes that, on the
whole, Canada is not well-prepared and must take concerted action to reduce the threat
that will escalate over time.
The one factor that is not well understood in Canada is that every day we dont adapt
is a day we dont have, said Blair Feltmate, the centres head and a professor in the
faculty of environment at the university.
We do not have the luxury of time; weve got to move on this file immediately. We
must build adaptation into the system now because if we dont, the economic
consequences and the social disruption its going to bring to the country will be very
substantial.
Prof. Feltmate said the cost preparing for natural disasters is relatively modest for new
construction, while it is far more expensive to protect existing buildings and
infrastructure such as power and water systems and housing subdivisions though
retrofitting may be less costly than paying for damages from extreme weather.
His report card on the provinces and the Yukon comes as federal, provincial and
territorial governments work toward a pan-Canadian climate strategy, with Prime

Minister Justin Trudeau scheduling a first ministers meeting for Dec. 9, when he hopes
to conclude a deal.
Ottawa also pledged under the Paris climate agreement last December to prepare a
national adaptation plan and communicate it to the United Nations with regular
updates. This years UN climate summit starts next week in Morocco, and Environment
Minister Catherine McKenna is expected to provide an update on Canadas progress in
implementing the 2015 agreement.
The Prime Minister and premiers agreed in Vancouver last March to work toward an
agreement that would not only reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but would coordinate increasing efforts to mitigate the impacts of extreme-weather events that are
expected to increase in intensity and frequency.
A report from a federal-provincial-territorial working group said climate impacts are
already being felt across Canada and pose significant risks to communities, health and
well-being, the economy and the natural environment. The interim report was
completed in June and recently obtained by The Globe and Mail; a final version is due to
be released in the coming weeks.
The June report suggests governments are planning to embrace both short-term and
long-term adaptation measures, including ensuring climate change is considered in
infrastructure decisions and investing in projects that are specifically designed to
address its impacts. Over the longer term, Canada needs to develop authoritative,
accessible and actionable information on changing climate conditions, and to generate
greater awareness, leadership and investment in adaptation, the working group paper
said.
But that high-level commitment can get lost in the day-to-day business of building
infrastructure and planning new subdivision or commercial buildings, Prof. Feltmate
said.
The insurance industry is particularly concerned about rising costs for flood and other
weather-related disasters, including this years devastating fire in Fort McMurray, Alta.
Payouts have soared and seven of the past eight years have seen insured costs from
natural disasters exceeding $1-billion.
Prof. Feltmates report surveyed each province and the Yukon on 12 factors related to
preparedness to limit flood damage. They included flood-plain mapping and land-use
planning; the availability of home adaptation audits and commercial property; and
climate-related assessments of transportation, energy, drinking water and sewage
systems.

He urged Ottawa and the provinces to each create a position of chief adaptation
officer, whose mandate would be to identify areas of strengths and weaknesses in flood
preparedness and produce regular audits of the jurisdictions commitments and actions.
He also recommended provinces restrict construction on flood plains, and where such
building has occurred, take action to limit potential flood damage.

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