Equipping Municipalities to Face Climate Change with AI
Professor Reda Snaiki, from the Department of Construction Engineering at ÉTS in Montreal, is launching new research on AI for climate adaptation. His goal: to help coastal municipalities better prepare for extreme weather and sea level rise.
You just received a $45,000 grant. What will it allow you to accomplish?
This grant will support our work on climate change adaptation in Canadian coastal areas. We aim to develop AI-based tools to help adapt infrastructure to extreme weather events. This project is part of a broader effort to apply AI for climate adaptation and resilience in Canadian coastal regions.
Can you summarize the key points of your research in layman’s terms?
In recent years, the Magdalen Islands and the Atlantic provinces have been regularly hit by hurricanes. These events are becoming more frequent and intense. On top of that, sea level rise is threatening coastal infrastructure.
Our goal is to quantify the risks associated with these phenomena, factoring in climate change, and to propose adaptation strategies for vulnerable municipalities to help minimize those risks.
What are the different phases of the project?
There are two.
The first step is to quantify the coastal flood risk caused by cyclones in the regions under study. This risk assessment will be based on a combination of synthetic storm scenarios and hazard models, incorporating both current and future climate projections.
The second step is to develop a large-scale adaptation approach that minimizes flood risk while also reducing the total cost of adaptation strategies.
How will AI be used in your project?
Once we’ve assessed the risk, we’ll implement a bi-objective optimization model to identify the most effective and cost-efficient solutions — while also factoring in environmental concerns.
Deep reinforcement learning, combined with other models, will help us choose between different strategies, such as sand walls or protective dikes.
By prioritizing green solutions, we are making a strategic choice in favor of a more resilient future. This project aligns perfectly with the mission of AdapT and ÉTS, developing innovative solutions to help coastal regions face storm risks and climate change — while discouraging non-ecological approaches.
It uses AI-based techniques to strengthen adaptation and resilience in Canadian coastal regions, in line with AdapT’s goals.
What positive impacts will your research have?
First, it will help coastal municipalities prepare for climate change, while respecting both their budgets and environmental constraints.
Extreme weather events like those we’re studying will become more frequent and intense, and could lead to flooding. That poses a potential threat to public safety.
Second, we’ll contribute to advancing scientific knowledge on these issues, while also involving students and future researchers, who have a key role to play.
