Adapting to Climate Change
- Expert advice
- What we’ve already done
- How you can prepare to adapt
- Learn more about how you can adapt
Adaptation is a key part of a successful climate change plan. It is about taking actions now to protect ourselves, our environment, communities, economy and ecosystems from the challenges caused by a changing climate. Our provincial and community infrastructures and the support programs and services we have in place, were not developed to handle today’s weather. Experts are now forecasting weather changes to impact:
- roads, bridges and transportation
- water supply, treatment and stormwater management systems
- social and emergency services
- industries such as agriculture, forestry, fisheries, shipping and tourism
- public health and healthcare
- telecommunications and energy reliability
- residential and commercial buildings
- wildlife habitat (due to forest fires, floods)
Adapting to climate change will help us minimize the negative impacts of severe weather events when they occur. Adaptation can also help us see new opportunities that climate change could present.
Expert advice
Ontario’s Expert Panel on Climate Change Adaptation, made up of 11 leading scientists, industry representatives and environmental experts, was asked to provide advice to help the Ontario government prepare and plan for climate change impacts.
The Panel’s report, Adapting to Climate Change in Ontario, offered a range of recommendations.
These recommendations provide an excellent starting point to help improve Ontario’s ability to withstand climate change challenges.
What we’ve already done
Ontario has already taken steps to adapt to our changing climate. We have:
- worked with partners to establish the Ontario Regional Adaptation Collaborative, a series of projects to help communities adapt to climate change
- created new rules for renewable energy projects to improve the province’s energy grid
- considered the impacts of climate change in programs that protect Ontario's drinking water sources
- considered climate change vulnerabilities and risks when developing the Northern Growth Plan
- set up research centres to develop pest- and drought-resistant crops
- developed programs that prioritize water conservation and efficiency
How you can prepare to adapt
Even though climate change is a global problem, it affects us locally especially when extreme weather causes an emergency. Here are some tips:
- Be prepared for emergencies such as floods, power outages, forest fires and ice storms.
- Assess where your home is vulnerable to natural disasters and take action to reduce those risks such as installing backflow valves to prevent sewer backups during floods.
- Be alert and follow advice from local public health units during heat waves and other health advisories.
Learn more about how you can adapt
- Visit YOUR environment to learn what you can do to protect our environment
- Be prepared for emergencies – visit Emergency Management Ontario
- Save water and protect the environment – look for products with the WaterSense label
Disclaimer: The Ministry of the Environment is not responsible for and does not necessarily endorse the information on websites that are linked to from this site.
