Adapting to climate change

The impacts of climate change are increasingly being felt. They lead, among other things, to heavy rainfall that, in turn, can cause flooding, heatwaves and droughts that, in turn, can increase the risk of forest fires, intensified coastal erosion and flooding, and more. Québec will experience the impacts of these climate hazards. It must adapt to protect the quality of life of its population while reducing its greenhouse gas emissions to curb global warming. That is what it has committed to doing through its Plan for a Green Economy.

Adaptation aims to reduce the risks related to climate change for society, the economy, ecosystems and infrastructure. It can involve changes in our land use, infrastructure design, production systems, policies and individual behaviours. To be effective, it must be based on science, so that we can better understand climate change and its impacts and find concrete solutions to reduce and respond to it.

Investing in adaptation pays off, as every dollar invested can generate $13 to $15 in long-term savings. Adaptation solutions must be carefully planned over time to maximize their benefits. Several tools (in French only) are available to help various stakeholders in society with this planning.

However, in certain circumstances, adaptation solutions can prove ineffective, create new problems or make environments or people more vulnerable. This is what is called “maladaptation”. It is therefore important that adaptation measures be based on science and be rigorously planned and considered as a whole; this will allow us to choose the most effective ones, maximize their benefits and limit their negative effects.

To better understand these concepts and their applications, see the document Adapting to climate change while avoiding maladaptation (PDF 709 Kb) (in French only), which presents different types of adaptation measures, their benefits and the consequences associated with maladaptive choices.

Finally, Québec is implementing adaptation in accordance with the principle of a “just transition” (in French only), meaning that the benefits and costs resulting from changes to society must be shared equitably among different actors in society and across generations. This implies, among other things, prioritizing support for those who face higher levels of risk in relation to climate change.

Climate change is causing an increase in heat waves and heavy rainfall. These phenomena have several possible consequences:

• Many people’s health can be affected by heat;
• Residential buildings can be flooded, as sewage systems are overloaded by heavy rains.

The creation of cool islands (in French only) including via the development of green infrastructure—natural or landscaped vegetated areas—is essential to counteract the effects of heat waves (in French only) and ensure better management of rainwater. 

That’s why programs like OASIS finance adaptation measures within municipalities and Indigenous communities. The OASIS program supports the installation of green infrastructure, such as green roofs and walls, retention basins and gardens to manage rainwater and protect the population from heat waves and flooding.

The program Accelerating local climate transition (ATCL) (in French only) also provides funding for municipal bodies to plan and implement projects that will help Québec municipalities adapt and reduce their Greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions.

Several individual adaptation measures (in French only) can also help reduce the impact of extreme heat.

Find out more about solutions for adapting to heat and heavy rain, and discover completed projects.
 

In Québec, a significant proportion of the population lives near a watercourse. It is therefore essential to protect exposed populations and infrastructure against flooding, which particularly affects the southern regions of the province. Spring floods, ice jams and torrential rains cause rivers to swell, which can lead them to overflow their banks. Climate change is increasing the frequency of these events, which are disastrous for the populations affected. 

That is why flood zone mapping work is being carried out. You can check whether a property is located in a flood zone or in a channel migration zone of a watercourse by entering its address in the interactive map.

An application like Vigilance (in French only), meanwhile, can be used to identify areas at risk of flooding during periods of heavy rain or thaw, enabling monitoring, alerting and rapid mobilization of emergency responders. 

Find out more about solutions for adapting to flooding and discover completed projects.

Climate change is raising sea levels, reducing ice cover and changing the frequency and intensity of storms. These changes are causing an increase in coastal erosion (degradation or displacement of banks, shorelines and coastlines) and coastal flooding (inundation of land along the coast). 

These phenomena affect the population by threatening the health and safety of residents living near water. They also have a negative impact on economic activity in coastal regions and damage road infrastructure.

Proper planning of the coasts of the Estuary and Gulf of St. Lawrence is essential to protect the population, infrastructure and ecosystems from damage caused by coastal erosion. The erosion and flooding project office supports the development of intervention plans with local communities to protect banks. At-risk areas are also being mapped and documented to better protect infrastructure and buildings, as well as the socio-economic vitality of communities. Science reports and maps showing the different types of coastlines, their uses, their ecosystems, and the exposure of infrastructure to coastal erosion are available on the Coastal Resilience Project website (French only). 

Find out more about solutions for adapting to coastal erosion and flooding and discover completed projects.

Many agricultural producers are already feeling the effects of climate change and are having to review their practices. They have to adjust to:

• Rising temperatures;
• Longer growing seasons;
• Changes in precipitation frequency and intensity;
• The presence of new insect pests;
• The presence of alien species, including invasive ones.

As this is essential to Québec, more action is underway than at any previous time, and an increasing number of experts are launching projects and carrying out research to support those who feed our population.

Find out more about solutions for adapting agriculture and discover completed projects.

With climate change, rising temperatures are leading to weather conditions conducive to forest fires. For example, there are:

• Periods of extreme heat and drought that dry out forests
• Electrical storms with lightning that ignites fires;
• High winds, which increase the intensity and spread of fires

The risks are even greater in coniferous forests, which are more susceptible to fire than deciduous forests, which are generally less combustible.

Actions to protect people from forest fires are being taken in Québec. Firefighters are trained to deal with extreme situations triggered by extreme fire weather. Elements that could lead to forest fires are also monitored for rapid response. 

Find out more about solutions for adapting to forest fires and discover completed projects.

In Québec, permafrost (french only) can be found in Nunavik (north of the 55^th parallel). Permafrost is ground that remains frozen for at least two consecutive years. Climate change affects permafrost by melting the ice within it, which can damage homes, roads and infrastructure built on this type of terrain. Populations in northern Québec are adversely impacted by thawing permafrost. Buildings and roads in this part of the territory must therefore be constructed, maintained or adapted in line with the risks associated with permafrost degradation. 

The Research chair in partnership on permafrost in Nunavik at Université Laval is developing knowledge to facilitate the construction of facilities that are resilient and sustainable in the context of climate change.