Climate extremes papers Toward a National Assessment of the Travel Risks Associated with Inclement Weather Jean Andrey, Michael Christie, Sarah Michaels, Dan Unrau, Brian Mills June 2005
Abstract
The world’s urban population is growing, as is the importance of cities to the health of the nations they fuel. Unfortunately, many of the elements that define cities also contribute to their vulnerability. As our climate changes, natural hazards that surround our cities will also change, interacting with vulnerabilities to threaten the sustainability of the urban environment. These changing risk factors demand adaptation, including comprehensive efforts to reduce urban vulnerability and more proactive measures to minimize hazard impacts.
This paper discusses the implications of climate change for natural hazards that threaten Canada’s cities, explores the expected impacts of this changing hazard variable and identifies strategies for adaptation that can be employed in response.