Thirteenth International Conference on Climate Change: Impacts & Responses

Abstract

This research project is led by the research group of Professor Isabelle Thomas of the Faculty of Environmental Design of the Université de Montréal. It is carried out in collaboration with the Ministère de la Sécurité Publique du Québec and several other municipalities in Quebec. Its objective is to develop an action strategy to communicate on flood-related risks, adapted to the local context of communities, as well as to evaluate the effectiveness of its communication tools. Risk communication is an essential step towards the improvement of resilience within a community. In recent decades, Quebec has been facing major floods, both from open water as well as from ice jams and torrential rains. Knowledge of flood-related risks is more necessary than ever. Reflections on land use planning issues in flood-prone areas have emerged and raised real awareness of the need to rethink land use planning in-depth and to prepare citizens to deal with this type of risk. As a result, the government is currently working on developing an action plan to more effectively handle this issue. The recurrence and intensity of floods affected by climate change according to the seasons constitute major risks and endanger the safety of the population. Risk communication helps prepare citizens to take responsibility and enable them to take the necessary measures to help them adapt their homes and yard, but also to protect themselves. Our team has developed a communication strategy regarding the adaptation of homes and land to reduce extensive damages caused by water.