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Getting ready for extreme weather

City taking part in planning for effect of climate change as temperatures rise across the globe
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Greater Sudbury is taking part in a long-term project aimed at helping cities prepare a plan to deal with the impact of climate change. File photo.

Greater Sudbury is taking part in a long-term project aimed at helping cities prepare a plan to deal with the impact of climate change.

A report going to the planning committee Jan. 23 outlines the goals of the Great Lakes Climate Change Adaptation Project, led by ICLEI Canada and supported by the Ontario Ministry of Environment and Climate Change. 

The project has developed climate change scenarios and what sorts of impacts they would have on Sudbury. For example, last year in the city, temperatures was 1.4 C higher than normal.

That trend is expected to continue, says a report to the committee.

“Our community can expect to experience increases in the average annual temperature over the next few decades, ranging from a 1.2-1.4  C increase in the 2020s and 2.6-4.7 C by the 2080s,” the report says. “During winter, a few degrees warmer can lead to more frequent ice storms, icy conditions, heavy load on roofs and power outages. 

“A few degrees difference can also create an earlier spring melt that will impact farms and wildlife. Higher temperatures in summer can lead to increased heat hazard for our vulnerable population. Our city will likely experience a greater number of snowfall and freezing rain events in winter, prolonged droughts followed by intense rain events in summer, and more frequent periods of high winds, including tornadoes.” 

All these changes will affect how the city provides services, and will impact the private sector, as well, the report says. Extreme heat plans, flooding plans, extreme weather plans and impacts on wildlife are among the concerns related to living in a warmer climate.

“This plan will help Greater Sudbury understand risks, prepare for various scenarios and enable us to adapt to and minimize negative effects as change occurs,” the report says. “The risk and vulnerability assessments will be held in the next few weeks to fulfil the city’s commitment to the Great Lakes Climate Change Adaptation Project.”

There will be community consultations this year and a Climate Change Adaptation Strategy will be developed in 2018.


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Darren MacDonald

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