Founded in December 2013 with support from the health component of the 2013–2020 Climate Change Action Plan (PACC 2020), the OQACC works to improve understanding of practices for adapting to climate change in Quebec. The Observatory monitors and evaluates climate change adaptation to produce indices guiding individual and organisational adaptation in Quebec. From a public health and health promotion perspective, it is essential to further document climate change adaptation efforts from both an individual and organizational perspective. The OQACC also provides high-quality training and tools to professionals in the fields of health, engineering, architecture and urban planning in Quebec.
Now mainly supported by the 2030 Green Economy Plan of the Ministry of the Environment, Climate Change, Wildlife, and Parks (MELCCFP), OQACC’s work continues to aim at providing a comprehensive overview of adaptation measures and behaviors in response to various climate hazards (e.g., heat waves, floods, Lyme disease, ragweed pollen allergies, and air pollution) among specific population subgroups.
Finally, from a transformational change perspective, the results of OQACC’s research are shared with the general public through newsletters and an online mapping tool, and are used to design and evaluate awareness‑raising and intervention tools. OQACC also offers knowledge‑transfer activities and training for adaptation stakeholders such as engineering, architecture, urban planning, and land‑use planning professionals. Sharing research results will help strengthen or modify beliefs and behaviours regarding individual and organizational adaptation.
Finally, contributions from Natural Resources Canada (NRCan), Ouranos, the Ministry of Public Security (MSP), and the Fonds de recherche du Québec also allow us to develop additional activities related to climate change adaptation.
Monitoring climate change adaptation behaviours adopted at the individual and organizational levels.
Study of the determinants of climate change adaptation behaviour adoption at the individual and organizational levels.
Knowledge dissemination and transfer on health and climate change.
The general objective of the first axis is to draw an exhaustive portrait of adaptation to climate hazards, such as heat waves, floods, Lyme disease and pollen allergies. At the individual level, higher-risk population subgroups will be targeted. For the organizational component, the studies will concern two categories of public authorities, health institutions that receive patients and municipalities, because of their central role in protecting people against flooding risks and in reducing the phenomenon of urban heat islands.
The scope of the second research axis is explanatory and predictive. Its objective is to explain the precursors of adaptation, the main purpose being to answer this question: Why do some people and organizations adapt, whereas others adapt little or not at all? These studies will rest on the main psychosocial theories (e.g., theory of planned behaviour, health belief model, protection motivation theory) used to understand and predict health-related behaviours. With a view to building awareness and intervening, it is essential to develop targeted interventions by identifying the precursors that provide a lever to change behaviours. This type of study is beginning to appear in the literature on climate change adaptation, but is still non-existent in Quebec.
Research from the first and second axes will generate considerable knowledge about climate change adaptation in Quebec. The third axis aims at implementing means of disseminating and transferring knowledge to ensure permeability between research and practice. In addition to the publication of reports and scientific communications, recruitment of postgraduate scholarship students is planned, to contribute to the training of the next generation.
Ph.D, Director
Pierre is full professor and expert in metrology at the Faculty of Education Sciences of Université Laval. His research projects are varied and concern notably the measurement and evaluation of pro-environmental attitudes and behaviours, climate change adaptation behaviours, health education, change in attitudes and validation of questionnaires. He has served as director of the OQACC since 2014.
M.Sc., Research associate
Laurence joined OQACC’s team of research professionals in 2019. She holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in consumer sciences from Université Laval, where she studied consumer behavior in an ecological context. She is working primarily on the development of a continuing education program for engineers, urban planners and architects in Quebec, aimed at increasing the skills and abilities of these professionals in particular, to implement adaptation to climate change.
M.A., Ph.D candidate
Since 2022, Adrien has been a doctoral candidate in measurement and evaluation under the supervision of Pierre Valois, Director of the OQACC. His research project aims to develop a competency framework for climate change adaptation from a public health perspective and to design a training program based on this framework. He holds a Master’s degree in Educational Administration and Evaluation from Université Laval, as well as a Master’s degree in Human Sciences from Université Paul‑Valéry Montpellier 3. Adrien is also an educational advisor at the Faculty of Medicine (FMED) at Université Laval, where he has been supporting various academic programs since 2014.
M.Sc., research professional
Maxime holds a bachelor’s and master’s degree in statistics. He has worked at the Statistical Consulting Service on the campus of Université Laval and as a statistician at the Ministère de la Santé et des Services Sociaux. He takes care of database management as well as psychometric and statistical analyses.
Master’s student in measurement and evaluation
Hermann holds a bachelor’s degree in public health with a specialization in epidemiology from the National School of Public Health Technicians and Epidemiological Surveillance at the University of Parakou. He has taken part in several field data‑collection activities as well as in the analysis of data from various public health research projects. He is working with the OQACC as part of the completion of his graduate research project in the field of climate change adaptation.
M.A.P., research professional
Johann holds a Ph.D. in measurement and evaluation at Université Laval within the OQACC. His doctoral research pertained to the development of indices for measuring the progress of Quebec municipalities in terms of adaptation, as well as to the identification of the main factors that predict municipal staff’s adoption of adaptation measures. Johann also has more than 10 years’ experience in program evaluation. He joined the OQACC in 2016 and works mainly on studies concerning organizational adaptation to climate change.
Ph.D. Co-Investigator
Jean-Sébastien Renaud is an assistant professor at the department of family medicine and emergency medicine, part ofthe faculty of medicine at Université Laval, and researcher for VITAM- Centre for Sustainable Health Research. He is also the director of the evaluation sector at the vice-deanship for pedagogy and continuing professional development at the faculty of medicine of the sameuniversity. He holds a doctorate and a master's degree in measurement andevaluation, as well as a bachelor's degree in consumer sciences and a certificate in administration, all from the same institution. His research focusses on pedagogical evaluation in health sciences.
MSc, MEnv, Research Professional
Beatriz has been part of the OQACC’s team of research professionals since 2018. She holds a bachelor’s degree in biology from Universidad Nacional Agraria La Molina (UNALM), a master’s degree in environmental assessment from McGill University, as well as a master’s degree in environmental sciences from Université de Sherbrooke. She has over 10 years’ experience in various projects concerning climate change adaptation and environmental assessment. At the OQACC, she works mainly on measurement and assessment of the impact of climate change adaptation.
Ph. D., professionnelle de recherche
Nishodi a rejoint l’équipe de l’OQACC au cours de l’été 2023. Après un baccalauréat en biologie à l’Université Pierre et Marie Curie à Paris, elle s’est spécialisée en environnement par le biais d’une maîtrise en Écophysiologie et écotoxicologie réalisée auprès du même établissement. Ensuite elle a obtenu un doctorat en écotoxicologue auprès de l’Institut national de la recherche scientifique (INRS). Au cours de ses études, elle a travaillé en enseignement et a participé à plusieurs activités dans la médiation scientifique auprès de jeunes. Elle travaille sur la formation en adaptation aux changements climatiques destinée aux ingénieurs, architectes, urbanistes et tous les professionnels de l’environnement bâti et de l’aménagement du territoire du Québec.
The general objective of the first axis is to draw an exhaustive portrait of adaptation to climate hazards, such as heat waves, floods, Lyme disease and pollen allergies. At the individual level, higher-risk population subgroups will be targeted. For the organizational component, the studies will concern two categories of public authorities, health institutions that receive patients and municipalities, because of their central role in protecting people against flooding risks and in reducing the phenomenon of urban heat islands.
The scope of the second research axis is explanatory and predictive. Its objective is to explain the precursors of adaptation, the main purpose being to answer this question: Why do some people and organizations adapt, whereas others adapt little or not at all? These studies will rest on the main psychosocial theories (e.g., theory of planned behaviour, health belief model, protection motivation theory) used to understand and predict health-related behaviours. With a view to building awareness and intervening, it is essential to develop targeted interventions by identifying the precursors that provide a lever to change behaviours. This type of study is beginning to appear in the literature on climate change adaptation, but is still non-existent in Quebec.
Research from the first and second axes will generate considerable knowledge about climate change adaptation in Quebec. The third axis aims at implementing means of disseminating and transferring knowledge to ensure permeability between research and practice. In addition to the publication of reports and scientific communications, recruitment of postgraduate scholarship students is planned, to contribute to the training of the next generation.
Ph.D, Director
Pierre is full professor and expert in metrology at the Faculty of Education Sciences of Université Laval. His research projects are varied and concern notably the measurement and evaluation of pro-environmental attitudes and behaviours, climate change adaptation behaviours, health education, change in attitudes and validation of questionnaires. He has served as director of the OQACC since 2014.
M.Sc., Research associate
Laurence joined OQACC’s team of research professionals in 2019. She holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in consumer sciences from Université Laval, where she studied consumer behavior in an ecological context. She is working primarily on the development of a continuing education program for engineers, urban planners and architects in Quebec, aimed at increasing the skills and abilities of these professionals in particular, to implement adaptation to climate change.
M.A., Ph.D candidate
Since 2022, Adrien has been a doctoral candidate in measurement and evaluation under the supervision of Pierre Valois, Director of the OQACC. His research project aims to develop a competency framework for climate change adaptation from a public health perspective and to design a training program based on this framework. He holds a Master’s degree in Educational Administration and Evaluation from Université Laval, as well as a Master’s degree in Human Sciences from Université Paul‑Valéry Montpellier 3. Adrien is also an educational advisor at the Faculty of Medicine (FMED) at Université Laval, where he has been supporting various academic programs since 2014.
M.Sc., research professional
Maxime holds a bachelor’s and master’s degree in statistics. He has worked at the Statistical Consulting Service on the campus of Université Laval and as a statistician at the Ministère de la Santé et des Services Sociaux. He takes care of database management as well as psychometric and statistical analyses.
Master’s student in measurement and evaluation
Hermann holds a bachelor’s degree in public health with a specialization in epidemiology from the National School of Public Health Technicians and Epidemiological Surveillance at the University of Parakou. He has taken part in several field data‑collection activities as well as in the analysis of data from various public health research projects. He is working with the OQACC as part of the completion of his graduate research project in the field of climate change adaptation.
M.A.P., research professional
Johann holds a Ph.D. in measurement and evaluation at Université Laval within the OQACC. His doctoral research pertained to the development of indices for measuring the progress of Quebec municipalities in terms of adaptation, as well as to the identification of the main factors that predict municipal staff’s adoption of adaptation measures. Johann also has more than 10 years’ experience in program evaluation. He joined the OQACC in 2016 and works mainly on studies concerning organizational adaptation to climate change.
Ph.D. Co-Investigator
Jean-Sébastien Renaud is an assistant professor at the department of family medicine and emergency medicine, part ofthe faculty of medicine at Université Laval, and researcher for VITAM- Centre for Sustainable Health Research. He is also the director of the evaluation sector at the vice-deanship for pedagogy and continuing professional development at the faculty of medicine of the sameuniversity. He holds a doctorate and a master's degree in measurement andevaluation, as well as a bachelor's degree in consumer sciences and a certificate in administration, all from the same institution. His research focusses on pedagogical evaluation in health sciences.
MSc, MEnv, Research Professional
Beatriz has been part of the OQACC’s team of research professionals since 2018. She holds a bachelor’s degree in biology from Universidad Nacional Agraria La Molina (UNALM), a master’s degree in environmental assessment from McGill University, as well as a master’s degree in environmental sciences from Université de Sherbrooke. She has over 10 years’ experience in various projects concerning climate change adaptation and environmental assessment. At the OQACC, she works mainly on measurement and assessment of the impact of climate change adaptation.
