Report

Climate Change Adaptation and Canadian Infrastructure: A review of the literature

By Jessica Boyle, Maxine Cunningham, Julie Dekens on November 7, 2013

This report summarizes current literature dealing with the challenge of adapting to climate change in Canada, with a particular focus on the country's infrastructure.

Published with support from the Cement Association of Canada, the report is intended to serve as a stimulus for further discussion around planned adaptation to climate change in Canada, with a particular focus on ensuring the viability of critical built infrastructure. The report explores climate impacts and risks to key infrastructure by region and by type. It also introduces a number of key policy, regulatory and financial tools for consideration.

The report concludes that:

  • Climate change has the potential to substantially affect the lifespan and effectiveness of Canada's infrastructure, particularly our transportation, buildings, marine and water management infrastructure.
  • Measures can be taken to limit costs and strengthen the resiliency of infrastructure. The report documents a number of key policy, regulatory and financial tools for consideration.
  • While there has been a significant amount of research and planning done, most supporting policies and regulatory changes remain nascent, and investments have not yet fundamentally shifted.
  • Recent climate events in Canada and abroad have galvanized calls for action at the local, regional and national levels, providing a key opportunity for industry actors to get engaged in the resiliency conversation now.

Report details

Topic
Climate Change Adaptation
Region
Canada
Focus area
Climate
Publisher
IISD
Copyright
IISD, 2013