Inondations

Les plus récents résultats d’une étude menée par l’Observatoire québécois de l'adaptation aux changements climatiques (OQACC) auprès de résidentes et résidents du Québec permettent de conclure que 34,8 % de la population habitant en zone inondable ne le sait pas ou pense le contraire, ce qui constitue une augmentation comparativement aux résultats de l'étude précédente menée par l'Observatoire en 2015 (26,3 %), et ce, en dépit des inondations majeures du printemps 2019.

Climate change is predicted to increase the frequency and intensity of floods in the province of Quebec, Canada. Therefore, in 2015, to better monitor the level of adaptation to flooding of Quebec residents living in or near a flood-prone area, the Quebec Observatory of Adaptation to Climate Change developed five indices of adaptation to flooding, according to the chronology of events. The present study was conducted 4 years later and is a follow-up to the 2015 one. Two independent samples of 1951 (2015) and 974 (2019) individuals completed a questionnaire on their adoption (or non-adoption) of flood adaptation behaviors, their perception of the mental and physical impacts of flooding, and their knowledge of the fact that they lived in a flood-prone area.

Six études de cas ont permis d’identifier des facteurs qui motivent les instances publiques à développer des instruments de politiques publiques ainsi que d’autres qui facilitent leur mise en œuvre et qui favorisent leurs effets positifs. Trois études ont porté sur les mécanismes utilisés par les provinces ou États pour soutenir les municipalités dans leur planification de l’adaptation aux changements climatiques. Elles se sont penchées sur les instruments utilisés en Nouvelle-Écosse, au Nouveau-Brunswick et au Massachusetts. Une autre étude a porté sur l’évaluation environnementale de projets de stabilisation des berges sur la Côte-Nord, au Québec. Une cinquième étude a porté sur la prise en compte de l’adaptation aux changements climatiques dans le schéma d’aménagement et de développement (SAD) de l’agglomération de Montréal. Une sixième étude s’est penchée sur la démarche de planification Climate Ready Boston.

The aim of this study is to identify which psychosocial factors of the theory of planned behavior better predict and explain the adoption of heat and flood adaptation behaviors by municipal authorities in the Province of Quebec, Canada, and to explore the cognitive structures motivating municipal officers to adopt adaptation behaviors. The results of structural equation analyses showed that municipal authorities’ attitude toward the adoption of adaptation behaviors (i.e., the degree to which the performance of an adaptive behavior is positively or negatively valued by municipal officers) and perceived control (barriers) over adaptation behaviors significantly contributed to the prediction of readiness to adopt the behavior.

The increase in the frequency of floods, which is a projected consequence of climate change, can have wide-ranging health and economic impacts. To cope with these floods and to reduce their impacts, households can adopt some preventive behaviours. The main goal of this research was to compare the adoption of flood mitigation behaviours in three populations presenting distinctive characteristics with a valid and an invariant measure of behavioural adaptation, as well as a baseline measure (comparison group).

In the current context of climate change, climate forecasts for the province of Quebec (Canada) are a lengthening of the thunderstorm season and an increase in episodes of intense precipitations. These changes in the distribution of precipitations could heighten the intensity or frequency of floods, a natural hazard that concerns 80% of Quebec’s riverside municipalities.