Research projects and publications

This methodological approach is applicable in different climates and for different reclamation methods. Mining industry stakeholders have a method to assess the resilience of present or future reclamation facilities in the face of climate change. 

The results of this project will enable indigenous communities, regional organizations, and provincial and federal governments to consider a future where food security is assured.

The use of the Raven framework will help building several semi-distributed models appropriate to the watersheds of southern Quebec. It will allow the exploration of the different algorithms to simulate snow melting and evapotranspiration.

This study responds to a need expressed by mining companies and the provincial government to review mining waste management measures by considering climate change and its impacts on the industry in order to ensure the long-term sustainability and safety of tailings structures.

This project puts forward a technique for parametric post-treatment of extreme precipitation in climate models by operationalizing work already underway at Ouranos and Polytechnique Montréal.

Thermal refugia in rivers are critical habitats during a heat wave for some coldwater fish populations. This project determines the distribution and typology of refugia, in addition to defining the impacts of global warming on these refugia.

This project aims to assess the main issues related to floodplain mapping as well as to support the application of knowledge, facilitate widespread understanding and use of the mapping carried out by INFO-Crue.

This project examined the relationship between summer weather and the health of workers in five Canadian provinces. It has generated new knowledge that can guide decision-makers and prevention stakeholders.

This project profiles the vulnerability of Quebec's alpine ski system to climate change, and identifies the sensitivities and levers for action that need to be addressed to strengthen the sector's resilience.

The data from the project sheds light on the early symptoms of heat effects. It can be used by health and community workers during home visits to adapt care.

This projet will help refining the development of meteorological thresholds for health alerts for several situations of extreme importance for health-related climate change adaptation, for Québec and Canada.

This project examines the inequality issues associated with climate change adaptation solutions. The resulting recommendations will make it possible to establish an impact and vulnerability analysis framework that is adapted to Quebec.

The results of this project will produce a better estimate of flood risks and, consequently, better mapping of flood zones for regions where water levels in the receiving environment have a significant impact on flood risks. 

Tools and activities were developed specifically for this industry in order to raise awareness and encourage the assimilation of current knowledge on climate change. Ultimately, they will be used in informed decision-making and the promotion of innovative action on climate change adaptation.  

The application and adaptation of the HYDROTEL model to the boreal environment in Quebec will allow Hydro-Québec to better understand past and future hydrological behaviours in these watersheds, and improve the management of hydroelectric production.

This project provided one of the first forums for discussing the analysis of vulnerabilities and opportunities under climate change for forest ecosystem management in Quebec. In particular, we were able to pinpoint the vulnerabilities to consider when using FEM management, and produce a decision-making tool to help managers assess the costs of protecting allowable cut against fire activity, which will increase under climate change.

The results of this study have contributed to an improved understanding of the adaptive capacity of black spruce under climate change, which will help optimize the future management of this species; approaches to forest management that will help reduce climate change impacts on this species; and beginning the development of a tool for predicting the mechanical properties of wood based on the input of environmental data in order to test the impact of climate change on wood formation.

The research suggests that it would be wise to maintain a mix of species, given that they have different responses to the uncertainties in the water balance resulting from climate change. New forest productivity models for calculating timber volumes for harvesting would better capture the relationships between climate, location and growth.

One of the benefits for adaptation from this project is the better knowledge of the CC response and adaptive capacity of balsam fir and black spruce will lead to a deeper understanding of forests and their future productivity (and therefore the amount of wood available), which will guide the management of forest resource harvesting.

The project showed that some coastal communities are already feeling impacts associated with environmental changes. The documentation of some traditional Inuit knowledge was made possible as well as increasing community awareness of climate change issues; and the development of awareness activities for community youth.

The project documented the geomorphic response of the St. Lawrence tributaries to different hydrological conditions ranging from very low flows, to winter floods and very high floods.

This study made it possible to contribute to the reflections of various governmental and non-governmental stakeholders whose role is to encourage the incorporation of climate change adaptation to integrated watershed management in Québec.

This project made it possible to produce information to integrate the influence of climate change into the plans of reconstruction or construction of new power plants the ensure the safety of the equipment; plan for probable changes in extreme flood events in order to benefit from the probable increase in hydroelectric production; evaluate various post-processing methods for climate data, which are essential to various studies leading to adaptation.

The project will provide access to advanced-level climate information that is not available to date, from a regional perspective, for the North.

This project aims to reduce snow-related uncertainty in pan-Canadian projections by leveraging the latest-generation CMIP6 GCM projection data. The research involves the use of a weighting method called ClimWIP to reduce the uncertainty of CMIP6 GCMs based on their performance, with a particular focus on accurately reproducing the annual maximum of the water equivalent of snow.

This project has increased knowledge of the components of Great Lakes water supply based on observations of their variability and associated uncertainties.

The overall objective of this project is to develop an operational framework for climate projection for hydrological applications, in cold regions.

This synthesis will provide a scientific foundation and food for thought for adaptation experts and practitioners for whom climate change is an important issue in their mandates and activities. This knowledge is the starting point for supporting adaptation decisions and taking action to make Quebec more resilient to current and future climate change.

The results of this project provide a more complete and precise regional climatic and hydrological portrait in current and future climates to support decision-making on the identification of impacts and adaptation solutions to be planned and implemented for transportation.

This project analyzes the practices, obstacles and drivers for climate change adaptation by Quebec’s small and medium-sized tourism enterprises (SMEs) depending on their sector, region, and level of need. The results will be used in the design of a resource that will support reflection by offering avenues for climate change adaptation that are suited to the specific profiles of organizations.

The project aims to develop a communication process that addresses tensions in the dialogue and the paradoxes inherent to the climate crisis and to apply it to the challenges associated with water management.

Under Thrust 5 of the 2020-2025 Action Plan for Responsible and Sustainable Tourism, Quebec’s Ministry of Tourism (MTO) is interested in acquiring and sharing knowledge on climate change mitigation, supporting partners in testing innovative solutions, and stimulating the mobilization of regional and sectoral players for a tourism industry that is resilient to climate change.

To better support the participation of seniors in Quebec and France in environmental and climate volunteering while combating ageism at a time when global warming is unavoidable, it is important to translate the Retirees in Service to the Environment (RISE) program into French and adapt it to an intergenerational context.

This project aims to address the lack of knowledge and resources for climate change adaptation within territorial food systems in Quebec, with a focus on the co-creation of learning resources to facilitate training and leadership. 

This project is a first step towards the integration of knowledge on climate change adaptation communication in Québec. This work will serve as a springboard for future R&D and to boost this emerging field of expertise.

This project is documenting, analyzing and projecting the consequences of water scarcity in terms of their cascading effects on the well-being of human populations and ecosystems.

This project aims to provide Quebec with a method for estimating the current and future water needs of the main economic sectors while considering the impacts of climate disruption and socio-economic development on water availability. 

This project will facilitate access to historic and future snow cover data across Quebec at a resolution in the order of 10 km. Users and decision-makers from a multitude of sectors will enjoy a broader range of climate information to integrate into their adaptation plans.

Climate change knows no borders: its international repercussions can be felt even in our own backyard. This project studies transnational climate risks and impacts in Quebec in the food processing and battery industries. 

This project aims to increase understanding of how manufacturing SMEs perceive climate risks and to identify the factors that influence this perception and the way it informs decision-making processes.

This project aims to help the electricity sector integrate climate data into infrastructure planning and design in order to strengthen the climate resilience of the Canadian grid.

This project aims to get an overall view of hydrological drought episodes in southern Quebec in the context climate change by better identifying the meteorological conditions leading to such events and analyzing their prevalence in future climates. The project could pave the way for a hydrological forecast adapted to low water levels.

This project will provide an analysis of the economic impacts of forest fires in the context of climate change in Quebec. It will also analyze the cost effectiveness of adaptation solutions to enable informed decision-making.

This project is developing a physics-informed artificial intelligence model to better anticipate changes in groundwater recharge in southern Quebec in the context of climate change.

This project will contribute to advance methods and metrics for adaptation monitoring and evaluation in critical infrastructure sectors.

The goal of this project is to promote the implementation of disability-inclusive climate change adaptation in the Montréal metropolitan area. It also aims to understand the influence of social, institutional, physical and economic barriers on the climate vulnerability of people with disabilities.

The aim of this project was to analyze the practices followed in climate change risk and opportunity assessments (CROAs) conducted at the national level in 11 jurisdictions. This summary presents the findings from a review of the 11 selected CROA reports and semi-structured interviews with the CROA leaders. The 11 CROAs were examined based on 38 criteria grouped into three categories: framing, methodology and dissemination of results.