2003/56 (a)

BACKGROUNDER

CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACTS AND ADAPTATION:
A CANADIAN PERSPECTIVE — TRANSPORTATION

The transportation chapter of Climate Change Impacts and Adaptation: A Canadian Perspective reviews recent Canadian research on the impacts of, and adaptation to, climate change on Canada’s transportation system. It also highlights the results of research funded by the Government of Canada’s Climate Change Action Fund.

Canada’s transport system — which includes roads, rail, air and water — is an essential element of Canadian economic and social well-being. More than $150 billion, or one in every seven dollars spent in Canada, is spent on commercial and private transportation.

Potential Impacts

This chapter examines the potential impacts of climate change — including changes in temperature, water levels, precipitation and extreme weather events — on Canada’s transportation system. Impacts will vary by region and will present a variety of challenges.

In southern Canada, higher summer temperatures may affect the structural integrity of pavement and railway tracks, which would have an impact on maintenance costs and accident risk. However warmer winters could mean less freeze-thaw deterioration of pavement, reduced maintenance costs related to snow and ice, and fewer automobile accidents.

In northern Canada, a key concern is the effects of degraded permafrost on roads, railroads and runways. Paved runways are expected to be especially sensitive to these changes. Reduced duration and reliability of ice roads is another major concern, with significant economic and social implications for many northern communities. During past warm winters, governments have had to spend millions of dollars flying in supplies to communities in Alberta and Manitoba normally served by ice roads.

Rising sea levels along the marine coasts could damage transportation infrastructure, such as causeways, bridges and marine facilities. In the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence Seaway, lower water levels may increase shipping costs, since more trips could be required to transport the same amount of cargo. In the North, reduced sea-ice cover and the potential opening of the Northwest Passage would increase navigational safety concerns.

Adaptation Options

Understanding the differences in climate change impacts among regions and modes of transportation is an important step in developing strategies to reduce vulnerability. Key adaptation activities in Canada include incorporating climate change into infrastructure design and maintenance decisions, and improving information systems. For example, future changes in the extent and thickness of permafrost should be considered when selecting new road and pipeline routes. With proactive adaptation, the impacts of climate change on transportation in Canada will likely be largely manageable.

Climate Change Impacts and Adaptation: A Canadian Perspective

The full report will comprise 10 chapters. Seven focus on specific sectors — water resources, agriculture, forestry, coastal zone, transportation, fisheries (all completed), and human health. Other chapters provide background information and address research methods, costing and knowledge gaps. A synthesis report of about 20 pages will also be produced.

As they are completed, the chapters are being posted on the Government of Canada’s climate change Web site at http://adaptation.nrcan.gc.ca/perspective_e.asp?CaID=13&PgID=25. The chapter-by-chapter release on the Web site provides the public with an easily accessible source of information on climate change impacts and adaptation as it becomes available.

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