Flooding: Extreme Floods and Infrastructure Vulnerability

Spring floods, like those seen in 2019 on the Chaudière River and Ottawa River, cause major damage to critical infrastructure such as bridges and roads. According to the Climate Institute of Canada, by 2050, there will be more than $300 million per year in damage to homes and buildings caused by flooding in coastal regions.

With climate change, hydrological regimens are changing, exposing new municipalities to increased risk of flooding. Current building standards, based on historical data, are no longer sufficient to ensure the resilience of infrastructure.

It is becoming essential to avoid building in flood-prone areas, to plan for the relocation of vulnerable populations, and to adapt urban planning to new climate realities. Furthermore, the growing reluctance of insurers and mortgage lenders to insure properties in high-risk areas underscores the urgency of more rigorous planning.

Research and solutions

Reinforcing critical infrastructure
- Improving drainage systems and protecting roads and bridges against erosion and flooding.
Optimizing urban planning
- Integrating flood risk into regional planning and revising building standards.
Public awareness and adaptation
- Implementing measures such as non-return valves and modifying private developments to reduce damage.
Advanced technologies and forecasts
- Developing more resilient materials, predictive flood modelling and optimizing response strategies to extreme events.
Financial and regulatory strategies
- Adapting insurance and mortgage frameworks to better reflect climate risks and encourage more resilient construction practices.

These efforts will better protect vulnerable communities and promote greater resilience to extreme weather events.

Related projects

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Carte interactive présentant l’exposition et la vulnérabilité aux changements climatiques et des solutions d’adaptation pour la population québécoise

Inondations Vents violents et structures urbaines Gestion de l’eau Chaleur et confort thermique Approvisionnement et résilience Relation ville et population Infrastructures vertes

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