As witnessed in recent weeks, rising seas, swollen atmospheric rivers and post-tropical storms are a threat to community infrastructure, housing and the safety of those living along Canada’s east and west coasts. In response, new guidance from the Intact Centre on Climate Adaptation, University of Waterloo, presents practical solutions to limit the financial and social costs of these evolving risks.

The new guidance, supported by the Standards Council of Canada, the National Research Council of Canada, and Infrastructure Canada, catalogues approaches falling under two types of coastal protection:
• Traditional Grey Infrastructure: Hard, engineered coastal protection measures, such as seawalls, dikes, and barriers; and
• Nature-Based Solutions: Measures that depend on, or mimic, natural systems to manage flood and erosion risk, such as saltmarsh restoration or replenishing beach and dune systems with sand.