Seeking Safety
Advancing Climate Action through Standards View Digital Media
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Adamou Saidou, Yuna Song
Standards and guidelines can be powerful resources for professionals, practitioners, and governments in designing and implementing sustainable and climate-resilient solutions. By standardizing best practices, National Standards of Canada can streamline and harmonize the field of climate resilience while playing an integral role in improving the overall health and safety of Canadians, and of their environment. The Standards Council of Canada (SCC) is leading the development of climate-resilient standards that can be implemented to adapt communities to climate change and extreme natural events. The Standard to Support Resilience of Infrastructure Program (SSRIP) has been working since 2016 to advance, through standardization, the resilience of Canadian infrastructure. This is achieved through collaboration with communities, standards development organizations, and experts from across the country to support the development of standards that consider climate change impacts in infrastructure planning, design, construction, operation, and maintenance. This paper provides an overview of SSRIP and its work to boost the resilience of Canadian infrastructure through the revision of existing standards with climate resilience in mind. Flood protection, asset strengthening, and nature-based solutions are key focus areas for the program.
Featured How Climate Change and Insurgency Induced Population Displacements in Nigeria: A Critical Study of the Condition and Management Challenges in Displaced Person’s Camps View Digital Media
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Philip Egbule
Many Nigerians have become internally displaced due to herdsmen attacks, natural disasters, rural banditry and cattle rustling, climate change and identity conflicts, among other factors. However, the activities of Boko Haram (an insurgent group that targets security formations and government establishments in Nigeria) and climate change will be used as a case study. Given the complexities and increasing number of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Nigeria, especially in the Northern states, the government in collaboration with other stakeholders has stepped up efforts to cushion the effects of displacements and forced migration in the nation. Unfortunately, not much has been achieved due to some emerging issues in the management of IDP camps. In light of the above assertion, this research work is interested in investigating the links between the causes and nature of population displacements, the socio-economic implications on the affected states, as well as the complex conditions in the IDP camps and its management challenges. This paper employs analytic methods to explore some of the displacement issues as related to the present study. To achieve those objectives, secondary materials from relevant existing literature, pictures and news reports are used to draw up conclusions. The paper not only contributes significantly to the literature concerning population displacements and forced migration in Nigeria but also stimulates important policies (including socio-economic, security and legal policies) as responses toward addressing identified issues and challenges.
Impact of Climate Change on Mexico's Agri-food Systems: The Importance of Acting Now to Protect Our Food Security View Digital Media
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Guillermo Salas Razo
Climate change (CC) is severely affecting Mexico's Agri-food Systems, putting the food security and livelihoods of millions of people at risk. To address this situation, urgent mitigation measures need to be implemented, such as promoting sustainable agricultural practices, strengthening irrigation infrastructure, diversifying crops, and reducing food waste. CC is already causing changes in crop patterns and geographical distribution of species, which can have a negative impact on food security in the long term, as pests and diseases in crops are expected to increase, further affecting food production and quality. Therefore, it is important to strengthen the adaptive capacity of these systems through investments in research and innovation, food transport and storage infrastructure, and to promote a more conscious and sustainable food culture in Mexican society. CC is also causing loss of arable land due to soil erosion and salinization, reducing its availability for food production and affecting its ability to sustain healthy crops. If immediate action is not taken to mitigate the effects of CC on Mexico's agri-food systems, we will face all these problems coupled with rising prices and reduced availability of food, with health and nutrition problems in the population. Urgent action is needed to protect the food security and livelihoods of millions of people in Mexico.
