The University of Waterloo's Climate Institute has secured $1.2 million in grant funding from the Natural Resources Canada's Climate Change Adaptation Program to strengthen climate change adaptation capacity in Canada and abroad. This funding will support two transformative projects integrating climate change adaptation into professional degree programs and developing tools to build resilient supply chains. These initiatives aim to equip future professionals and businesses with the knowledge and skills to effectively address climate change challenges.
Learn more about the researchers and their groundbreaking work below.
Accelerating climate change education for the next generation of professionals
A groundbreaking project, set to launch, aims to integrate climate change adaptation knowledge into professional degree programs across Canada. Led by the Waterloo Climate Institute, this initiative will leverage the University's extensive climate education expertise to enhance the training of future professionals in engineering, accounting, architecture and planning, ensuring they are well-prepared to tackle climate challenges in their careers.
Dr. Sarah Burch, professor in the Faculty of Environment and executive director of the Waterloo Climate Institute, is the principal investigator working alongside Dr. Michele Martin, climate change education training specialist on the project.
"Climate change impacts are already being felt in communities across the globe. Integrating the knowledge and skills needed to actively prepare for and adapt to climate change, these professionals will help to design, build, invest in and plan for more resilient communities," Burch says.
Five departments are collaborating on the project, guided by Dr. Lisa Aultman-Hall, chair of Systems Design Engineering, Dr. Blake Philips, director of the School of Accounting and Finance, Maya Przybylski, director of the School of Architecture, Dr. Mark Seasons, director of the School of Planning, and Dr. Scott Wallbridge, chair of Civil and Environmental Engineering.
Integrating critical climate change knowledge into academic degrees will better equip Canada's future professionals to address this urgent issue. This is done through a participatory approach, involving end-users in the co-creation of knowledge products. Faculty members and administrators, as well as professional associations, including Canadian Institute of Planners, CPA Canada, Engineers Canada, Canadian Architectural Certification Board and Ontario Society of Professional Engineers, will help to align course content with professional competencies.
Dr. Sarah Burch, principal investigator, executive director of the Waterloo Climate Institute (on sabbatical), and professor in the Faculty of Environment.
This collaborative effort will ensure that the new course material is relevant and effective. This announcement marks a significant step towards preparing Canada's future professionals to tackle the challenges posed by climate change.
Building disaster resilience across Canadian business supply chains
As seen with the COVID-19 pandemic and a rise in climate-related extreme weather events, supply chains are vulnerable to global disruptions. A new research study involving Canadian businesses, trade support organizations and international organizations will pioneer the development of multi-hazard adaptation and disaster risk reduction tools.
Dr. Jose DiBella, principal investigator, Waterloo Climate Institute
This initiative, led by the Waterloo Climate Institute, will build capacity in businesses and support organizations to recognize, plan for, and invest in climate adaptation both domestically and in the Global South.
"We will be mapping existing knowledge and resources along supply chain relationships to harness the information, skills and financial resources," shares Dr. Jose DiBella, principal investigator and Waterloo Climate Institute member.
"This will allow Canadian businesses to develop multi-organization adaptation strategies and invest in long term adaptation processes."
DiBella's work will be supported by Burch and is integral to advancing adaptation strategies for Canadian businesses. This research promises to drive action by deploying tailored tools developed with and for businesses, building capacities, and understanding risks. The impact will be felt by Canadian businesses who will be able to enhance foresight and planning for adaptation.
These projects are supported by Natural Resources Canada's Climate Change Adaptation Program.
