climate Risk & Resilience
Addressing the risks arising from climate change has become an essential consideration for public and private sector organizations. Governments, financial markets, shareholders, and citizens are demanding clear, comprehensive, and high-quality information regarding the implications of climate change, and disclosure on plans and actions to manage transitional and physical climate-related risks. Understanding and assessing these risks and designing resilience into critical infrastructure and business assets requires a collaborative approach. Matrix’s multi-disciplinary teams integrate climate, environmental, and engineering information, knowledge, and practice to develop well-informed climate risk and resilience solutions.
Climate Risk & Resilience Services
Energy Transition Risks
Physical Climate Risks
Climate Risk and Resilience Assessments
Meet our Technical Director for Climate Risk & Resilience
Quentin Chiotti
What has been the most rewarding part of your career in climate risk & resilience?
The opportunity to educate and inform others about the necessity and importance of addressing the physical risks of climate change through adaptation and resiliency measures. This has been surpassed only by the satisfaction felt after working with others to develop and implement measures that lead to higher levels of climate resilience. My time at Metrolinx was especially rewarding in this regard, achieving significant benefits for the agency, taxpayers, and the communities we served.
What attributes make for a strong climate risk & resilience practitioner?
Why is the climate risk & resilience practice area important for Matrix?
The demand and opportunities to understand and manage climate risks is exploding, and the need for this expertise has never been greater. Managing climate risks is a cross-cutting issue, that is [unfortunately] only going to become more important in the foreseeable future. The importance of the climate risk & resilience practice should be obvious to Matrix and its clients, and also for society at large.
What advice can you provide for someone who wants to pursue a career in climate risk & resilience?
Be open to learn from those with more experience, and be patient in your acquisition of knowledge. I have been working in this field for almost 30 years and yet appreciate that there is still so much more to learn. The journey to become climate resilient is a long and challenging process, and this also applies to becoming an effective expert and practitioner.
Related Projects
Flood Mitigation Study for New Hamburg
The Town of New Hamburg is located along the Nith River and is one of 27 municipal flood damage centres in the Grand River Conservation Authority’s (GRCA’s) jurisdiction. The Town was established and developed in the Nith River floodplain and is subject to routine nuisance flooding; in addition to significant flooding events in 1975, 2008, and most recently in February 2018 and January 2020. Matrix was retained to estimate average annual flood damage costs associated with existing flooding, develop and evaluate potential mitigation strategies, and provide support for two Public Information Centres (PICs).
West Eau Claire Park Public Realm Plan
West Eau Claire Park is a popular area along the Bow River, just north and west of downtown and near the iconic Peace Bridge. The City of Calgary wished to connect the community with the Bow River and also provide important flood protection for downtown Calgary. The park was redeveloped through widening and raising the existing pathway, protecting and enhancing the river bank, and grading and landscaping the south overbank area to protect against a 1:200-year flood event with 0.5 m of freeboard.
Source Water Protection and Management
The Region of Waterloo is one of the largest municipalities in Canada to rely heavily on groundwater for water supply. One of their key challenges is to ensure that the groundwater volume they are extracting is sustainably balanced with the needs of the surrounding natural environment, particularly in the face of a growing population, urbanization, and climatic changes.