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Vancouver Vulnerabilities To Climate Change

Decent Essays

Climate change includes changes in the average climate, such as a general warming in mean annual air temperature, and changes in the frequency of extreme temperature and precipitation events. Some world’s largest cities are located in coastal areas. This increases their vulnerability to rising sea levels and storm surges, risking livelihoods, property, and urban infrastructure.
Vancouver as a coastal city is projected to experience increased annual precipitation and temperatures, with hotter, drier summers. More intense and frequent rain and wind storms are anticipated, and sea level rise will pose a significant challenge by mid-century.

Several Vancouver characteristics standout as significant vulnerabilities to climate change, these include: …show more content…

- Decrease in durability and lifecycle of infrastructure leading to increased maintenance and replacement requirements.

Lower income households
The homeless and those housed in poor quality housing are particularly vulnerable to climate change and natural hazards due to where they live within cities, the lack of reliable basic services, and their shortage of resources to deal with disruption.

Low-lying coastal and Fraser-fronting areas
Increased surface water flooding in low lying areas or heavy rainfall may overcome the capacity of the drainage system. There can also be damage to coastline structures due to storm surge, flooding and salt water intrusion.

Human Health and Welfare

Increased frequency and intensity of storms and weather extremes may increase safety and health risks for vulnerable populations including water ingress, mould and loss of housing for poorly housed and health risk to the homeless.

Over the last century, all regions of British Columbia became warmer by an average of 1.2OC. Heat waves will be more intense in the city due to urban heat island effects. Hotter and drier summers with more heats may increase vectors for diseases and respiratory

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