Empowering communities to build climate-ready infrastructure
Sponsored by ICLEI Canada
Extreme weather and climate change are no longer distant concerns. They are pressing issues for elected officials, city managers, and public infrastructure professionals.
Recent research from the Canadian Climate Institute highlights a staggering reality. Storms, floods, heatwaves, droughts, and wildfires like those we witnessed this summer are costing Canadian taxpayers tens of billions of dollars annually in infrastructure damage.
“Climate change is impacting every municipality’s ability to deliver essential services,” said Mike Fabro, manager of climate change planning for the City of London. “In London, we are changing the way we build and maintain infrastructure because of climate change impacts. But we shouldn’t have to tackle this challenge alone. Practitioners across Canada are dealing with similar risks. Best practices need to be recognized and made widely available.”
Resources for Climate-Ready Housing and Infrastructure
We can take proactive steps to increase the climate resilience of communities and lessen the impacts and costs of extreme weather. One of the best ways to do this is by investing in low-carbon, climate-resilient infrastructure and housing.
There are already many examples of grey and natural infrastructure projects that can help protect communities from extreme weather and other climate impacts while also reducing carbon emissions. Such examples, as well as data and tools to support their replication, can now be found on Climate Insight, a free online platform.
Climate Insight empowers communities across Canada with the data and information needed to build low-carbon, climate-resilient housing and infrastructure. The platform eases the burden of data collection and tool selection fatigue by providing curated public infrastructure information in one central location. Right now, users can:
- receive curated suggestions based on more than 160 proven low-carbon, resilient infrastructure options
- access built-in tools including a baseline emissions calculator, rapid risk screening, and equity checklist
- use an interactive map to visualize climate, socio-economic, and infrastructure data for your community
- find codes and standards, case studies, and other materials related to climate change and infrastructure
- connect with experts and get additional support for housing and infrastructure projects
“Climate Insight is a great tool to aid in decision making,” said Sean Lee, assistant director of engineering and operations for the City of Fredericton. “Having access to tools, project experiences, and a wider base of knowledge helps local engineers develop solutions to municipal infrastructure climate change challenges.”
Informed by Housing and Infrastructure Professionals
Climate Insight launched its first iteration on Oct. 24, 2024, marking the beginning of an exciting four-year journey of development. With user feedback at the heart of the process, the platform’s features, functionality, and content will continuously evolve to better serve communities as they confront the growing challenges of climate change.
Visit climateinsight.ca to start using the platform today and to share your feedback. Together, we can build a better tomorrow. MW
✯ Municipal World Executive and Essentials Plus Members: You might also be interested in Christopher Chen and Jennifer Court’s article: A forward-looking approach to municipal infrastructure and climate change action.
Ewa Jackson is the managing director with ICLEI Canada (icleicanada.org) and a recognized national leader in local climate adaptation and resilience.
Related resource materials: