Two research projects have been selected further to a call for projects on the climate resilience of critical systems coordinated by Ouranos. The call was launched in collaboration with the member organizations of the Unité mixte de recherche (UMR) project on civil, public and defence security in the context of climate change, led by the Institut national de la recherche scientifique (INRS). The following is an overview of the selected proposals and their objectives.
Extreme rain and the resilience of public transit in Montréal: What adaptation measures should be taken to make the transit system flood-resilient and how should the responsibility be shared?
In recent years, Montréal’s public transit system has been confronted with extreme weather events, such as torrential rains, which disrupt and sometimes even interrupt service.
The aim of this project is to improve understanding of the system’s level of vulnerability and its exposure to the risk of flooding, and to provide the city’s municipal government and its transit system operator, the STM, with a comprehensive view of the problem. The researchers will then propose and evaluate structural adaptation solutions for making subway stations more resilient to extreme rain episodes, as well as non-structural solutions to equip partners to coordinate their actions.
In this way, they intend to support coordination between the municipal government and the STM and to strengthen their collaboration in managing the risks associated with extreme rain. The project should also result in the training of highly qualified personnel and the emergence of new technical and fundamental concepts in hydraulics.
The project is relevant and aligned with Quebec’s climate resilience priorities. Its rigorous scientific approach will give rise to practical benefits for critical transportation infrastructure.
It is a collaboration between the INRS, the STM and the Ville de Montréal, led by Julia Frotey (INRS). The project team includes co-researchers Paul Célicourt (INRS), Jean-Luc Martel (ETS), Sophie Duchesne (INRS), and Taha B.M.J. Ouarda (INRS).
Complexity and climate resilience: Preparing civil protection officials for the cascading effects of critical systems failure
Because critical systems are highly interconnected and integrated, a potential failure can cause cascading effects and major interruptions in multiple essential services. Managing this complexity and the possible consequences is delicate and complicated for municipal civil security managers.
This project focuses on the complexity resulting from interdependencies between critical systems in the context of exposure to extreme climate-related events.
Through an approach based on decision psychology, this interdisciplinary project will examine the cascading effects of the failure of information and communication technology (ICT) systems during extreme climate events as a case study.
It aims to develop the knowledge to prepare municipal civil protection officials to make decisions when such a failure occurs and to manage the multiple consequences.
The project will also:
Explore the determinants of complex decisions and the existing solutions
Identify what municipal civil protection officials will need in order to be able to manage critical systems failure in the context of climate change
Connect these needs to the solutions available
Offer an introduction to solutions supporting complex decision-making by means of a pilot simulation experience
This project is distinguished by its innovative integration of the concepts of complexity and cascading effects into a framework that is keyed to Quebec’s realities.
It is a collaboration between the RISC Centre, the INRS, Polytechnique Montréal, and Québec City’s civil protection office, led by Benoît Béchard (RISC Centre). The project team includes co-researchers Isabelle Turcotte (RISC Centre), Morgan Mouton (INRS) and Benoît Robert (Polytechnique Montréal).
About the call for projects
The call for projects was aimed at the energy, transportation and telecommunications sectors in order to support research projects to reduce the vulnerability and strengthen the resilience of critical systems in the face of climate change.
The two selected projects followed a scientific peer evaluation process through an independent committee. Together, they will receive nearly $600,000 in funding. They will begin in the summer of 2025.
This call for projects was funded by the Government of Québec through the 2030 Plan for a Green Economy. These two projects join the forty Ouranos projects and activities already supported under the 2030 Plan for a Green Economy.
