News Release
For immediate release
September 20, 2007
Canadian Cities Face Severe Risks from Climate Change Heat
TORONTO - Cities have a critical need to understand and prepare for the coming impacts of climate change, said Eva Ligeti, Executive Director of the Clean Air Partnership (CAP), convening a symposium held today at Toronto’s MaRS Centre. The symposium is the first meeting of ARC, the Alliance for Resilient Cities, bringing together government officials and scientists from Canada, the U.S., and England to discuss the potential catastrophic impacts of global warming on urban areas and the adaptations cities must make to protect their communities.
“We know that climate change is under way and that changes have been set in motion that will continue for centuries,” said Ligeti. “The goal of ARC will be to help cities become aware of the devastating effects of global warming and enable them to reduce its impacts before emergencies happen.”
While it’s acknowledged today that climate change is causing longer and hotter summers, stronger winds, and more intense rainfall, what is less understood are the inevitable effects on cities, which have not been designed to resist the impacts of the new climate. Scientists predict that urban areas will experience more heat waves and flooding, stresses on energy distribution and transportation systems, water shortages, damage to sewage and stormwater systems, and an increase in illness and death in vulnerable populations. Thawing permafrost is already damaging roads and building foundations in northern communities.
One symposium participant, Peterborough Mayor Paul Ayotte, will speak personally about what happened to his community. In July 2004, 240 millimeters of rain – including 150 millimeters in a two-hour period – caused gas and power outages, collapsed roofs, and incurred an estimated $87 million in damages.
Suggested strategies for cities to deal with the impacts of global warming range from simple adaptations – permeable pavements, for example – to more far-reaching adjustments. Cities whose transportation systems are under threat from rising waters may have to relocate roads, rail lines and other infrastructure.
Through the Alliance for Resilient Cities, CAP intends to create a network of local governments, researchers, business and non-profit organizations to investigate the impacts of climate change on urban areas and to link local governments with the expertise that will help cities develop an improved capacity for emergency planning and response. Executive Director Eva Ligeti said that the Clean Air Partnership will manage ARC meetings and communicate to members the latest developments in climate change research and adaptation strategies.
Contact:
Eva Ligeti
Clean Air Partnership
(416) 392-6672
Jennifer Penney
Director of Research
Clean Air Partnership
(416) 392-0376
For more information visit www.cleanairpartnership.org/arc.php
