In the spring of 2017, exceptional flooding impacted several municipalities in the Petite-Nation River region in Quebec. Increased instances of flooding are of concern to many Canadian municipalities, particularly in the context of climate change. Small municipalities are often less well equipped to deal with flooding.
To help vulnerable communities be better equipped to deal with climate-related flooding, the National Institute of Scientific Research (INRS), with support from our Municipalities for Climate Innovation Program, brought together several communities bordering the Petite-Nation River to develop tools for monitoring and visualizing flood risk levels.
INRS developed a series of flood risk assessment tools in partnership with the Organization of Watersheds of the Rouge, Petite Nation and Saumon Rivers and several Quebec municipalities with aims of reducing the vulnerability of municipalities to flooding caused by climate change. The tools are designed to help communities better understand and respond to flooding, to better understand the impact of climate change and to promote upstream-downstream solidarity among municipalities.
The two tools developed by the partnership are:
Flood risk assessment tools can benefit Canadian municipalities as they allow for the visualization of risks and impacts related to flooding and runoff. They allow for planning, management and intervention that is more preventive than reactive.
These tools can provide communities with online access to:
The tools can also help municipalities develop knowledge of how climate change influences flooding and access best practices to reduce their impacts.
Use the GARI Tool. (Available in French only)
Use the interactive map. (Available in French only)
These tools will be of particular interest to civil security officials, environmental project managers, and municipal employees responsible for public works and urban planning.
Communities that are impacted by flooding and wish to develop sustainable management plans should use the tools.
Karem Chokmani
Professor-Researcher, National Institute of Scientific Research
418-654-2570
karem.chokmani@ete.inrs.ca
Geneviève Gallerand
Executive Director, OBV RPNS
819-717-3171, ext 101
direction@rpns.ca
This resource was developed by the Municipalities for Climate Innovation Program (2017-2022). This program was delivered by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities and funded by the Government of Canada.
For more information on climate action funding, resources and training, please visit FCM’s Green Municipal Fund. For more information on asset management and climate resilience grants, training and resources please visit FCM’s Municipal Asset Management Program.