Speakers
Mr. Serge Lepage
Adaptation to climate change in the fluvial environment
(S’adapter aux changements climatiques dans le secteur fluvial du Saint-Laurent: prévoir le prévisible et l’imprévisible)
Biography
Serge Lepage holds a bachelor’s degree in physical engineering from Université Laval and a master’s in oceanography from McGill University; he also studied oceanography at the doctoral level at Dalhousie University. From 1983 to 1996, he was a consultant for engineering consulting firms, working on projects in the Estuary and Gulf of St. Lawrence, northern Quebec, western Africa and China. From 1996 to 2013, he worked for Environment Canada in various roles: sedimentologist, coordinator of environmental programs, scientific advisor, and head of the Biosphere museum in Montreal. Mr. Lepage is the author or co-author of many scientific articles and has contributed to developing a number of science outreach tools (brochures, books and CD-ROMs). He retired from the federal public service in 2013 and has just published Découvrir les océans: Initiation à l’océanographie, science de la mer (Éditions Multimondes).
Summary
In the marine environment, climate change is expected to cause an overall rise in sea levels, but the opposite could happen in the fluvial environment of the St. Lawrence: a drop in water levels due to a lower volume of water flowing out of Lake Ontario. This situation would result from the shortening of the ice cover season in the Great Lakes and higher evaporation rates from those lakes. Most climate scenarios for the St. Lawrence River predict a drop in water levels of 0.5 metre to 1.0 metre in the river corridor, depending on the portion of the river and the season. The combined effect of higher levels in the Estuary and Gulf St. Lawrence (EGSL) and lower levels in the river itself could cause salt water to travel farther upstream than the current limit at the eastern end of Île d’Orléans. We know that the higher air and water temperatures and the increase in precipitation, especially in winter (sometimes in the form of rain), will be other factors to consider when assessing the multiple consequences of climate change on ecosystems, uses and the built environment in the fluvial portion of the St. Lawrence. Aside from the average variations in climate, which will undoubtedly result in changes to the ecosystems and biodiversity of the St. Lawrence, and changes in some uses in the fluvial environment (sports, navigation, energy, construction, health, tourism, etc.), one of the most important factors to consider when looking a few decades out is the increase in the number of extreme events that are difficult to predict and manage. Sudden torrential rains and storm sewer overflows, winter warm spells and flooding under ice cover, prolonged dry periods and severe low flows are among the situations likely to significantly impact the built environment (shoreline erosion, flooding, disasters in the flood zone, degradation of water intakes, unusable boat ramps, higher insurance costs, etc.) if our emergency plans, our management methods and our reaction times are inadequate. Are we ready for all these events? Will we be prepared for the predictable and the unpredictable?
To obtain a copy of the presentation, contact us at psl@ec.gc.ca or psl@mddelcc.gouv.qc.ca.
Mr. François Morneau
Adaptation to climate change in the marine environment
(Le Saint-Laurent: un géant qui veut reprendre son lit!)
Biography
François Morneau holds a multidisciplinary bachelor’s degree in earth sciences and ecology and a master’s in physical geography, specializing in geomorphology, from Université Laval. After working for more than 15 years conducting environmental assessments of road, marine and air projects for the Ministère des Transports du Québec, Mr. Morneau joined the Direction générale de la sécurité civile et de la sécurité incendie (General Directorate of Civil Protection and Fire Safety) of the Ministère de la Sécurité publique in 2001 as a specialist in natural hazard risk management. He has worked on issues such as coastal erosion, avalanche risks, permafrost degradation in Nunavik, and management of watersheds and flood zones. Mr. Morneau has also coordinated the maritime environment program at Ouranos since its creation in 2002.
Summary
The Great Lakes–St. Lawrence hydrographic system is among the largest in the world. It is the third-largest in North America, after those of the Mississippi and the Mackenzie. Approximately 60% of Quebec’s population lives in the 330 municipalities located in the Great Lakes–St. Lawrence lowlands. In the maritime portion of the St. Lawrence, east of Quebec City, 129 municipalities are located directly on its shores.
Upstream from Quebec City, human intervention to control water flows, manage ice and put monitoring infrastructure in place seems to have been somewhat successful in “taming” the St. Lawrence. But that is not the case in the Estuary and Gulf of St. Lawrence, where the mighty river reminds us more and more often that it cannot be controlled.
As a result of global warming, the St. Lawrence is increasing in volume and taking back its shores and its flood plain. The rising temperatures over the past few decades are already affecting various geomorphological and oceanographical processes. Accelerated shoreline erosion, the movement of sandspits and beaches, the disappearance of intertidal marshes and the growing phenomenon of marine submergence are evidence that the St. Lawrence is reacting to climate change.
Ouranos is working closely with its research partners to study the ways in which climate impacts the natural processes that interact in coastal areas. Given the vulnerability of natural environments, built environments along shorelines and public infrastructure, those impacts are cause for concern.
To obtain a copy of the presentation, contact us at psl@ec.gc.ca or psl@mddelcc.gouv.qc.ca.
Ms. Catherine Dubois
Climate change illlustrated
(Les changements climatiques illustrés)
Biography
Catherine Dubois is a postdoctoral fellow at the Centre de recherche en aménagement et développement (CRAD) at Université Laval and a teaching assistant at Laval’s school of architecture. She is currently collaborating on an international, interdisciplinary research project, “CapaCités: des Connaissances aux Actions Pour l’Adaptation des Cités” [CapaCities: From knowledge to action for adapting cities], which is led by the Laboratoire de recherche en architecture (LRA) at the École nationale supérieure d’architecture de Toulouse in France.
Ms. Dubois is a doctoral candidate in architecture and civil engineering, under the joint supervision of Université Laval and the Institut national des sciences appliquées de Toulouse. In addition to her research and teaching experience, she has practised professionally for five years, working for architects including Richard Saint-Pierre (Quebec City) and Pierre Rosier and Olivier Ehresmann (La Réunion).
Her academic and professional background has made her aware of the need to create connections between basic research, teaching and the practice of architecture. That awareness led her to use an innovative participatory investigative approach to research and write her thesis, “Adapter les quartiers et les bâtiments au réchauffement climatique; une feuille de route pour les architectes et les designers urbains québécois” [Adapting neighbourhoods and buildings to global warming: A roadmap for Quebec architects and urban planners].
Summary
Adapting to climate change is a process that must be grounded in the reality of a given place, because it is inextricably linked to the environmental, political, economic, geographic and social context of that place. And who knows more about a place than the people who live and work there? Elected officials, citizens, managers, businesspeople, professionals, technicians, operators and researchers all have an interest in the issue of adaptation to climate change. Taking advantage of these local stakeholders’ experience and knowledge through the participation processes makes it possible to establish a local adaptation strategy and paves the way for its implementation. However, stakeholders have many different priorities, bodies of knowledge, tools, and approaches that can be brought to bear on solving a problem. Therefore, it is important to develop specific participatory activities to maximize their contributions.
The need to adopt a participatory approach to developing a local adaptation strategy was discussed, with reference to the example described in a research project titled “Changements climatiques et transformation urbaine; un projet de recherche-action pour renforcer la résilience de la Communauté métropolitaine de Québec” [Climate change and urban transformation: An action-research project to build resilience in the Quebec Metropolitan Community]. Three types of participatory activities created as part of that project were presented: citizen forums, diagnostic workshops, and illustrated before-and-after scenarios. Although these activities were originally developed for urban environments, they can also be applied to fluvial and marine environments. For that reason, the method, rather than the results, of the research project were emphasized.
For more information, contact Catherine Dubois at catherine.dubois@arc.ulaval.ca.
Mr. Claude Villeneuve
The St. Lawrence and climate change
(Le Saint-Laurent et les changements climatiques : gérer l’inévitable et éviter l’ingérable?)
Biography
Claude Villeneuve is a biologist. For more than 35 years, he has divided his time among university teaching, research and fieldwork in environmental science. He is the author of 13 books, including Vivre les changements climatiques, réagir pour l’avenir, co-authored with François Richard (Éditions Multimondes, 2007) and Est-il trop tard? Le point sur les changements climatiques. He has received many awards for the quality of his work, including “Scientist of the Year 2001,” and is a member of the Cercle des Phénix en Environnement.
He currently teaches in the department of basic science at the Université du Québec à Chicoutimi, where he has been director of the Chaire de recherche en éco-conseil since 2003.
He has chaired the advisory board of the Desjardins Environment Fund since its creation and sits on the scientific committee of Ouranos and the steering committee of the Institut de la Francophonie pour le développement durable.
Claude Villeneuve received the silver Canadian Environment Award (climate change section) in 2006. The same year, he was named to the Cercle d’excellence des universités du Québec. On September 30, 2010, he received the Prix Alphonse-et-Dorimène-Desjardins, awarded by the Ministère des Relations internationales et de la Francophonie, for his contribution to building Quebec’s international reputation.
Summary
In a global context of ever-increasing greenhouse gas emissions, the past is no guide to the future. At this point, the climate changes predicted for the 21st century are inevitable. The target of an increase in warming of less than 2 °C, which international negotiators have stuck to since the Copenhagen Accord, is now out of reach, and it is highly likely that global warming will exceed that target. What does that mean for the St. Lawrence, the people who live along its shores, the economic activities carried out in the region and the infrastructure built there? The new reality requires a shift in thinking in order to prevent disasters that would be difficult to manage in the longer term. In order to adapt, we must take climate variability into account in our projects and our land management and land use methods. Will we be equal to the challenge?
To obtain a copy of the presentation, contact us at psl@ec.gc.ca or psl@mddelcc.gouv.qc.ca.