Speaker: Dr. Ian Burton
Topic: How to Deal with the Adaptation Deficit.
Time: 2021-10-20 13:30 Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Bio:
Dr. Ian Burton is an Independent Scholar and Emeritus Professor at the University of Toronto where he was formerly the Director of the Institute for Environmental Studies and a Professor in the Department of Geography and Planning. He has also been a Senior Policy Advisor at Environment Canada (with Liz Dowdeswell), and was the first Director of the Adaptation Research Branch/Group. Its mandate was subsequently transferred to Natural Resources Canada.
Ian has served on Canadian delegations to the Conference of the Parties (COP) of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, and as a Lead Author on three IPCC Assessments. His research has focussed on human adjustment to natural hazards, and environmental risks and disasters. He plans to attend COP 26 in Glasgow in November to promote the adaptation agenda.
Summary:
Adjustment to natural hazards related to extreme weather and climate has long fallen short. The losses from floods, droughts, tropical cyclones, heat waves, wildfires, and other hazards were increasing well before the advent of anthropogenic climate change. Now losses are growing rapidly, perhaps exponentially. There is a huge deficit in adaptation.
New policies, and new and strengthened practices, are required both hazard-specific and place-based, as well as systemic, ranging from local to national to global. A wide range of adaptations is described. Setting priorities is problematic politically and policy-wise; costly and challenging to jurisdictional boundaries. The adaptation deficit can be reduced but that will not be achieved easily or soon. Stop putting people and property in harm’s way and remove and evacuate from high risk zones. Slow or stop building on flood plains in Canada and prepare for the global transformation which is approaching.
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