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ABSTRACT Flood risk management (FRM) involves planning proactively for flooding in high‐risk areas to reduce its impacts on people and property. A key challenge for governments pursuing FRM is to pinpoint assets that are highly economically exposed and vulnerable to flood hazards in order to prioritize them in policy and planning. This paper presents a novel flood risk assessment, making use of a dataset that identifies the location, dwelling type, property characteristics, and potential economic losses of Canadian residential properties. The findings reveal that the average annual costs are $1.4B, but most of the risks are concentrated in high‐risk areas. Data gaps are uncovered that justify replication through local validation studies. The results provide a novel evidence base for specific reforms in Canada's approach to FRM, with a focus on insurance that improves both implementation and effectiveness.

Abstract Objective Despite Canada being an important energy producer, not all Canadians can access or afford adequate levels of energy services at home to meet their needs, maintain healthy indoor temperatures, and live a decent life—a situation known as energy poverty. Depending on the measure, 6–19% of Canadian households face energy poverty. Health risks associated with energy poverty are documented in countries with milder climates. This study explores, for the first time in the Canadian context, the association between energy poverty and health. Methods Cross-sectional data are from the 2018 Canadian Housing Survey. Analyses are conducted on a sample weighted to represent 14 million Canadian households. The associations between expenditure-based and self-reported measures of energy poverty and self-rated general and mental health were assessed using logistic regression models, adjusted for potential confounding variables. Results The odds of rating one’s general (OR: 1.48; 95%CI: 1.29, 1.70) and mental (OR: 1.21; 1.04, 1.41) health as poor are significantly higher for Canadian adults in households with a high share of energy expenditure to income. The likelihood of poor general and mental health was significantly higher for those dissatisfied with the energy efficiency of their dwelling, and with their ability to maintain a comfortable temperature both in the winter and in the summer. Conclusion Exposure to energy poverty is associated with significantly increased likelihood of poor general and mental health. Given the high proportion of Canadian households facing energy poverty, with demonstrated implications for population health, tackling energy poverty is essential for an equitable energy transition and for climate resilience. , Résumé Objectif Bien que le Canada soit un important producteur d’énergie, entre 6 % et 19 % des ménages canadiens, selon la mesure retenue, sont en précarité énergétique, une situation qui survient lorsqu’un ménage n’a pas les moyens ou l’accès à des services énergétiques résidentiels adéquats pour maintenir une température ambiante confortable, répondre à ses besoins et vivre dans la dignité. Les risques socio-sanitaires associés à la précarité énergétique sont documentés dans des pays au climat tempéré. Cette étude explore, pour la première fois dans le contexte canadien, l’association entre la précarité énergétique et la santé. Méthodes Les données transversales proviennent de l’Enquête canadienne sur le logement de 2018. Les associations entre différentes mesures de précarité énergétique (mesures basées sur les dépenses des ménages et auto-rapportées) et la santé générale et mentale perçue sont estimées à l’aide de modèles de régression logistique ajustés pour des variables de confusion potentielles. Les analyses sont réalisées sur un échantillon pondéré pour représenter 14 millions de ménages. Résultats Les probabilités de déclarer une mauvaise santé générale (OR : 1,48; IC95% : 1,29-1,70) et mentale (OR : 1,21; 1,04-1,41) sont significativement plus élevées pour les adultes canadiens dont le ménage consacre une part importante de son revenu aux coûts énergétiques. Elles sont aussi significativement plus élevées pour ceux qui déclarent être insatisfaits avec l’efficacité énergétique de leur logement et de leur capacité à maintenir une température confortable en hiver et en été. Conclusion Vivre en situation de précarité énergétique est associée à des probabilités accrues de déclarer une mauvaise santé générale et mentale chez les adultes canadiens. En raison de la proportion élevée de ménages canadiens confrontés à la précarité énergétique et des effets socio-sanitaires que cette situation engendre, lutter contre la précarité énergétique est essentiel pour une transition énergétique équitable et pour la résilience climatique.

Abstract In a rapidly changing world, what is today an unprecedented extreme may soon become the norm. As a result, extreme‐related disasters are expected to become more frequent and intense. This will have widespread socio‐economic consequences and affect the ability of different societal groups to recover from and adapt to rapidly changing environmental conditions. Therefore, there is the need to decipher the relation between genesis of unprecedented events, accumulation and distribution of risk, and recovery trajectories across different societal groups. Here, we develop an analytical approach to unravel the complexity of future extremes and multiscalar societal responses—from households to national governments and from immediate impacts to longer term recovery. This requires creating new forms of knowledge that integrate analyses of the past—that is, structural causes and political processes of risk accumulation and differentiated recovery trajectories—with plausible scenarios of future environmental extremes grounded in the event‐specific literature. We specifically seek to combine the physical characteristics of the extremes with examinations of how culture, politics, power, and policy visions shape societal responses to unprecedented events, and interpret the events as social‐environmental extremes. This new approach, at the nexus between social and natural sciences, has the concrete advantage of providing an impact‐focused vision of future social‐environmental risks, beyond what is achievable within conventional disciplinary boundaries. In this paper, we focus on extreme flooding events and the societal responses they elicit. However, our approach is flexible and applicable to a wide range of extreme events. We see it as the first building block of a new field of research, allowing for novel and integrated theoretical explanations and forecasting of social‐environmental extremes. , Key Points We conceptualize unprecedented extremes as social‐environmental processes shaped by institutional, political, and economic change As social‐environmental extremes become more frequent, there is an urgency to unravel their genesis and the possible societal responses This approach is the first building block of a new field of research in social‐environmental extreme event forecasts , Plain Language Summary The world is seeing increases in a range of extreme events, and this increase may continue or even accelerate in the future, due to anthropogenic climate change. Furthermore, it is often those who are already vulnerable that experience the biggest impacts from these extremes. Yet, there is little understanding of the possible societal responses to unprecedented events. This underscores the urgency of creating innovative approaches to develop plausible scenarios of societal responses and, in turn, mitigate hazards and reduce vulnerability and exposure to extreme events. In this commentary, we develop a truly interdisciplinary conceptual approach to better understand how different societal groups might interact with and respond to future unprecedented extreme events. We combine social science theories describing how different societal groups are affected by, and recover from, extreme events with projections from the literature identifying plausible areas at risk of unprecedented occurrences and local analyses of past extreme events. We see this as the first building block of a new field of research in forecasting social‐environmental extremes that could support governments, civil protection agencies, and civil society organizations to ensure a fairer, improved response to future events.

Background: Past research shows that psychosocial stress and distress predict sedentary behavior and physical activity, but few studies focus on pregnant women. Our objective was to analyze relationships between psychosocial stress and distress with sedentary behavior and physical activity among pregnant women in Canada. Methods: We analyzed objectively-measured sedentary behavior and physical activity at 16–18, 24–26, and 32–24 weeks pregnancy in a sociodemographically diverse cohort of 70 women in Montreal, Canada. Participants completed the Perceived Stress Questionnaire and wore an accelerometer for 3 days that quantified sitting time and steps per day. We used univariate general linear models to analyze relationships between perceived stress with sedentary behavior and physical activity at each evaluation. To assess generalizability, we analyzed relationships between psychological distress with self-reported leisure-time sedentary behavior and daily energy expenditure in transportation and leisure physical activities among a sample representative of 166,095 women in the Canadian Community Health Survey. Results: In the Montreal cohort, we observed a positive association between perceived stress and sitting time, with small to moderate effect sizes (partial η2 = 0.08–0.16). We observed negative relationships between perceived stress and steps per day at the first two evaluations only, with small to moderate effect sizes (partial η2 = 0.08–0.11). Relationships for sedentary behavior were similar in the nationwide sample, but with smaller effect sizes (partial η2 = 0.02). There were no relationships between distress and physical activity in the nationwide sample. Conclusion: Psychosocial stress represents one risk factor for sedentarity, with relationships evident throughout pregnancy and at the population level. Relationships with physical activity are less consistent, but stress might represent a risk factor for low physical activity in early to mid-pregnancy. Results might guide the development of more comprehensive interventions targeting stress, sedentarity, and physical activity. In particular, integrating psychosocial health into interventions to reduce sedentarity, and including concrete guidelines on sedentary behavior in psychosocial health interventions, might be prioritized.

Afin de mieux comprendre la distribution géographique des facilitateurs et des obstacles à la participation sociale des Québécois âgés, cette étude visait à documenter l’Indice du potentiel de participation sociale (IPPS) selon les zones métropolitaines, urbaines et rurales. Des analyses de données secondaires, dont l’Enquête transversale sur la santé des collectivités canadiennes, ont permis de développer et de cartographier un indice composé de facteurs environnementaux associés à la participation sociale, pondérés par une analyse factorielle. En zones métropolitaines, l’IPPS était supérieur au centre qu’en périphérie, compte tenu d’une concentration accrue d’aînés et des transports. Bien qu’atténuée, la configuration était similaire en zones urbaines. En zone rurale, un IPPS élevé était associé à une concentration d’aînés et un accès aux ressources accru, sans configuration spatiale. Pour favoriser la participation sociale, l’IPPS soutient que les transports et l’accès aux ressources doivent respectivement être améliorés en périphérie des métropoles et en zone rurale., AbstractTo better understand the geographic distribution of facilitators of, and barriers to, social participation among older Quebecers, this study aimed to document the Social Participation Potential Index (SPPI; Indice du potentiel de participation sociale) in metropolitan, urban and rural areas. Secondary data analyses, including the Canadian Community Health Survey, were used to develop and map a composite index of environmental factors associated with social participation, weighted by factor analysis. In metropolitan areas, the SPPI was higher in the center than in the periphery, due to an increased concentration of seniors and transportation. Although reduced, the pattern was similar in urban areas. In rural areas, a higher SPPI was associated with an increased concentration of older adults and access to resources, showing no spatial pattern. To promote social participation, the SPPI suggests that transportation and access to resources must be improved in the periphery of metropolitan areas and in rural areas, respectively.

During the last several decades, numerous researchers have provided evidence that physical and biogeochemical processes at air-snow/ice-water interfaces are very complex, and, in many cases, interlinked. , During the last several decades, numerous researchers have provided evidence that physical and biogeochemical processes at air-snow/ice-water interfaces are very complex, and, in many cases, interlinked. This review focuses on the current state of knowledge regarding snow-borne particles. It integrates snow science from different angles: from the formation of snow and precipitation to transformations through natural and anthropogenic processes and impacts and snow management in urban areas sites. We discuss the physical, chemical, and biological characteristics of particles in snow, such as their composition, abundance, size distribution, ice nucleation properties, genomic features, and microphysical processes, in urban settings, remote areas of the Arctic, and remote industrial regions (oil sands). We explore physicochemical processes of snow particles: from microbial to emerging contaminants, like nano/microplastics, light-absorbing carbonaceous organics, halogenated and nanometals particles. We review the possible contributions of snow particles to atmospheric radiation and climate, biogeochemistry, human health, and urban snow management. We propose further research directions to improve understanding of air-snow feedback, and sustainable snow management in urban areas, in the age of emerging contaminants in a changing climate.

Abstract The exposure of urban populations to flooding is highly heterogeneous, with the negative impacts of flooding experienced disproportionately by the poor. In developing countries experiencing rapid urbanization and population growth a key distinction in the urban landscape is between planned development and unplanned, informal development, which often occurs on marginal, flood‐prone land. Flood risk management in the context of informality is challenging, and may exacerbate existing social inequalities and entrench poverty. Here, we adapt an existing socio‐hydrological model of human‐flood interactions to account for a stratified urban society consisting of planned and informal settlements. In the first instance, we use the model to construct four system archetypes based on idealized scenarios of risk reduction and disaster recovery. We then perform a sensitivity analysis to examine the relative importance of the differential values of vulnerability, risk‐aversion, and flood awareness in determining the relationship between flood risk management and social inequality. The model results suggest that reducing the vulnerability of informal communities to flooding plays an important role in reducing social inequality and enabling sustainable economic growth, even when the exposure to the flood hazard remains high. Conversely, our model shows that increasing risk aversion may accelerate the decline of informal communities by suppressing economic growth. On this basis, we argue for urban flood risk management which is rooted in pro‐poor urban governance and planning agendas which recognize the legitimacy and permanence of informal communities in cities. , Key Points The distribution of flood risk in urban areas is uneven, with the negative impacts experienced disproportionately by the urban poor Our model shows that reducing the vulnerability of informal residents to flooding can reduce inequality, even when their exposure is high Based on the model results, we argue that urban flood risk management should be rooted in pro‐poor urban governance and planning agendas

Does salient information on social media influence individuals’ economic decisions and beliefs? Using aggregated data from Facebook and a difference-in-differences strategy, I show that individuals who are socially connected to someone affected by Hurricane Harvey are more likely to purchase flood insurance policies after the event. This effect is stronger in areas at higher risk of flooding. Being socially connected to someone affected by Hurricane Harvey also influences individuals’ perceptions of global warming.

Abstract We present a new open source dataset FLODIS that links estimates of flood-induced human displacements, fatalities, and economic damages to flooded areas observed through remote sensing. The dataset connects displacement data from the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC), as well as data on fatalities and damages from the Emergency Events Database (EM-DAT), with the Global Flood Database (GFD), a satellite-based inventory of historic flood footprints. It thereby provides a spatially explicit estimate of the flood hazard underlying each individual disaster event. FLODIS contains two datasets with event-specific information for 335 human displacement events and 695 mortality/damage events that occurred around the world between 2000 and 2018. Additionally, we provide estimates of affected population, GDP, and critical infrastructure, as well as socio-economic indicators; and we provide geocoding for displacement events ascribed to other types of disasters, such as tropical cyclones, so that they may be linked to corresponding hazard estimates in future work. FLODIS facilitates integrated flood risk analysis, allowing, for example, for detailed assessments of local flood-damage and displacement vulnerability.

Introduction: In July 2013, a train derailment caused the death of 47 people and destroyed the downtown area in the city of Lac-Mégantic (Quebec, Canada). This tragedy had several impacts on this small community. Method: Three years after this disaster, we used a representative population-based survey conducted among 800 adults (including 265 seniors aged 65 or above) to assess the physical and mental health of seniors. Results: Several differences were observed in seniors’ physical and mental health based on their level of exposure to the tragedy. Nearly half of seniors highly exposed to the train derailment (41.7%) believe that their health has deteriorated in the past 3 years. The majority of seniors highly exposed to the train derailment (68.7%) also show symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorders. Seniors highly or moderately exposed to the tragedy were also more likely to have found positive changes in their personal and social life as compared with nonexposed seniors. Discussion: A technological disaster such as a train derailment still had negative impacts on seniors’ physical and mental health 3 years later. Conclusion: Public health authorities must tailor prevention and promotion programs to restore health and well-being in this population.