Kathryn Bakos, Managing Director of Finance and Resilience at the Intact Centre on Climate Adaptation, discusses the pressing challenges posed by climate change, including flooding, wildfires, and extreme heat. She highlights the importance of proactive community and financial sector responses to these crises. Emphasizing the lag in adaptation awareness compared to mitigation efforts, Kathryn explores innovative solutions like updated flood maps, wildfire risk management, and strategies for protecting the most vulnerable populations in urban settings.
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insights INSIGHT
Canada's Climate Vulnerability
Canada is warming at twice the global average, making it vulnerable to climate change.
This challenges the idea of Canada as a climate refuge.
insights INSIGHT
Major Climate Risks in Canada
Flooding, wildfires, and extreme heat are major climate risks in Canada.
These risks are increasing, necessitating adaptation measures.
volunteer_activism ADVICE
Home Flood Protection
Homeowners can take cost-effective steps to reduce flood risk.
Actions include cleaning eavestroughs, extending downspouts, and installing backwater valves.
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Kathryn Bakos is the Managing Director of Finance and Resilience at the Intact Centre on Climate Adaptation, an applied research center within the faculty of Environment at the University of Waterloo in Canada.
Our conversation today is all about the inevitable impacts of climate change, including floods, wildfires, and heat waves in particular, as these phenomena are Kathryn's main focus. We talk about the increasing severity of each of these, the preventative efforts that individuals and communities can each take to avoid their worst effects and how risk and insurance industries are navigating these perils. And lastly, we have a conversation about why adaptation measures have seemingly lagged behind decarbonization efforts in the public consciousness about climate change.
In this episode, we cover:
[0:00] Overview of the Intact Centre
[1:30] Canada’s climate vulnerability
[2:44] Kathryn’s career path
[4:00] Major risks: flooding, wildfires, heat waves
[9:59] Responses to flooding: individuals, communities, industries
[16:55] Updating flood maps and using AI
[26:07] Wildfire risks: actions for homes and communities
[34:53] Wildfire insurance and resilience challenges
Inevitable