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Adapting to Climate Change in Toronto
Climate change is one of the most serious threats facing humankind. Warmer global temperatures are destabilizing weather patterns and increasing the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events. This brings about prolonged heat waves, storms, and droughts, leading to floods, blackouts, forest fires and other weather-related disasters.
Toronto is especially vulnerable to the impacts of climate change given its high concentration of people, buildings and aging infrastructure.
According to NASA, 2005 was the warmest year ever since record keeping first began in 1890. In Toronto, staggering heat led to 48 smog days and 26 heat alerts and in August the city was subjected to a rainstorm of record intensity that is being dubbed the most expensive weather-related disaster in Ontario’s history.
The Clean Air Partnership is working with the City of Toronto to incorporate climate change into program planning and implementation.
The project will roll out in 4 phases:
1. A Scan of Climate Change Impacts on Toronto, May 2006 (PDF 2MB)
A summary of weather impacts already affecting Toronto, the City’s current response, and climate change impact scenarios for the near and medium term.
2. Cities Preparing for Climate Change (May 2007)
This report examines what other leading cities are doing to tackle expected climate
change impacts, and identifies strategies that appear promising for Toronto and other
cities.
3. Decision-Makers Workshop, June 2006
This workshop discussed the impacts of climate change on the City of Toronto and addressed actions that could be taken to reduce the city's vulnerability. Report | Presentations
4. Adaptation Strategies (June 2007)
A menu of adaptation options for two areas: a) the Urban Forest, and b) Heat (and it s
impacts on health and energy use) have been developed in collaboration with City of
Toronto staff and other interested stakeholders. Reports: Climate Change Adaptation Options For Toronto Forests | Time to Tackle Toronto's Warming
For more information:
Jennifer Penney, Senior Researcher
Tel: 416.392.0376
jpenney@cleanairpartnership.org
Funding
This project is made possible with the financial support of the Government of Canada’s Climate Change Impacts and Adaptation Program and the Toronto Atmospheric Fund.
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