Intact Adaptation Action Grants awarded to projects that are helping people and communities adapt to floods, wildfire and extreme heat
"We need to act and reduce the effects of more frequent weather events by helping people and our communities adapt," said
Climate change is leading to more frequent and severe weather. In fact, extreme weather events in
As a purpose-driven organization, Intact is here to help customers and society adapt to the impacts of climate change. Through the Intact Adaptation Action Grants, Intact is supporting projects that are helping to protect people from the effects of climate change — like floods, wildfires and extreme heat — and building more resilient communities.
2020 Partners
- Coastal Action will use nature-based infrastructure– such as living shorelines, tidal wetlands and artificial headlands – to protect
Mahone Bay, N.S. , from coastal erosion, floods and contaminated runoff. - Credit Valley Conservation will test a smart blue roof on their office headquarters to reduce flooding and urban heat and promote rainwater reuse. It also involves learning how to scale this technology for use in local communities and across
Canada . - Evergreen, as part of its new Climate-Ready Schools program, will create new design guidelines for school grounds using natural infrastructure to prevent floods and protect against heat and wind.
- Fondation en environnement et en développement durable (led by CRE-Capitale Nationale) will use rain gardens, vegetated ditches and green parking lots to reduce floods and urban heat in
Quebec City . - Gathering Voices Society will pilot and test a proactive fire management program with two First Nations communities in
British Columbia . It involves surveying and monitoring forests, as well as prescribed burning and mechanical thinning to reduce wildfires.
Quick Facts
- In 2015,
Intact Financial Corporation helped establish the Intact Centre on Climate Adaptation at theUniversity of Waterloo , committing nearly$10 million over 10 years. - In 2017 and 2018, Intact previously invested
$2.3 million in 16 charitable partners through the Intact Adaptation Action Grants - Severe weather across
Canada cost$1.3 billion in insured damage in 2019, according toCatastrophe Indices and Quantification Inc. and theInsurance Bureau of Canada (IBC). It was the seventh highest in insured losses on record. - In
Canada , the annual cost of flooding will nearly triple fromUS$2.4 billion in 2010 toUS$6.6 billion by 2030 if adaptation measures aren't taken. And the number of Canadians affected by floods will grow from 200,000 in 2010 to more than 350,000 in 20301. - About 60% of all Canadian cities, towns, settlements and Indigenous communities have a significant amount of land that interfaces with wildland and is therefore at risk from wildfires2.
- Most communities threatened by wildfires are in regions whose burn areas are projected to increase by 50% to 200% due to climate change.3
- Every dollar invested in disaster mitigation and climate change adaptation generates a savings of
six dollars in future disaster costs.4 - Nature-based adaptation solutions have multiple benefits, including regulating water flows, protecting shorelines, and cooling cities. They can also provide one-third of the climate mitigation needed between now and 2030 to keep global warming below 2⁰C5
- Natural assets like wetlands, forests and ponds help communities in
Canada better manage flood risk, while providing a range of other ecosystem benefits, and at savings ranging from$200,000 to$414 million 6 compared to built infrastructure.
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1 World Resources Institute, The number of people affected by floods will double by 2030 based onAqueduct Floods Methodology, |
2 Institute for Catastrophic Loss Reduction, Estimating the benefits of Climate Resilient Buildings and Core Public Infrastructure, |
3 Canadian Wildland Fire Strategy: a 10-year review and renewed call to action, |
4 National Institute of |
5 Global Commission on Adaptation, "Adapt Now: A global call for leadership on climate resilience," |
6 Municipal Natural Assets Initiative, Cohort 2 National Project Overview, |
SOURCE
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