When disaster strikes, Canadians expect swift and effective response systems to mitigate damage and protect lives. Yet, as wildfires, floods and extreme weather events become increasingly frequent, cracks in Canada's disaster response framework are growing more apparent.
Nirupama Agrawal, a professor at York University and co-director of the Canadian Defence and Security Network (CDSN-MINDS), is leading research to analyze how Canada manages domestic emergencies.
Nirupama Agrawal
A founding faculty member of York's Disaster and Emergency Management program, Agrawal recently concluded a three-year grant from the Department of National Defence's MINDS program that hosted a series of workshops in Toronto. MINDS (Mobilizing Insights in Defence and Security) connects the National Defence team with experts to challenge assumptions, share diverse perspectives and provide timely advice, while supporting future scholars and raising public awareness about defence and security.
These workshops - held in March 2022, November 2023 and November 2024 - brought together a diverse array of collaborators - including Public Safety Canada, Ontario Emergency Management, and the International Association of Emergency Managers - to tackle pressing questions about Canada's over-reliance on the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) during natural disasters, and the sustainability of a disaster response system that relies on CAF's involvement.
"The Canadian Forces are not the first responders," says Steve Saideman, director of CDSN. Yet, as wildfires in B.C. and evacuations in Yellowknife and Nova Scotia have shown, local response teams can quickly become overwhelmed, leading provincial governments to turn to the CAF. With global conflicts already straining military resources, Agrawal's research underscores the urgent need to reimagine a disaster response system that does not depend on military intervention as a default.
A significant focus of this research was also aimed at improving disaster preparedness and response in Indigenous communities, where poor infrastructure and heightened vulnerability amplify the impacts of extreme events.
Workshop participants offered valuable insights and engaged in robust conversations on enhancing Canada's domestic emergency operations, Argawal says. Outcomes of the discussions highlighted the need for a general agreement around prioritizing mitigation measures, a larger role for the provicial emergency management organizations, and more importantly, says Agrawal, strengthening and training communuties to be a part of future disaster responses.
"By questioning age-old assumptions that formed the foundation of the current disaster response system, a new path forward can be discovered," Argawal says.
Beyond policy recommendations, Agrawal's work prioritizes mentorship. Graduate students were actively involved in the workshops, presenting research, leading discussions and contributing to comprehensive reports. This hands-on experience prepares the next generation of emergency management professionals to navigate the complexities of disaster response in an ever-changing world, says Agrawal.
This story was originally featured in YFile, York University's community newsletter.
