Kathryn Bakos ([ Ссылка ]) is the Managing Director of Finance and Resilience at the Intact Centre on Climate Adaptation ([ Ссылка ]) , an applied research center within the faculty of Environment at the University of Waterloo in Canada.
Our conversation today is all about the inevitable impacts of climate change, including floods, wildfires, and heat waves in particular, as these phenomena are Kathryn's main focus. We talk about the increasing severity of each of these, the preventative efforts that individuals and communities can each take to avoid their worst effects and how risk and insurance industries are navigating these perils. And lastly, we have a conversation about why adaptation measures have seemingly lagged behind decarbonization efforts in the public consciousness about climate change.
In this episode, we cover:
• [0:00] Overview of the Intact Centre
• [1:30] Canada’s climate vulnerability
• [2:44] Kathryn’s career path
• [4:00] Major risks: flooding, wildfires, heat waves
• [9:59] Responses to flooding: individuals, communities, industries
• [16:55] Updating flood maps and using AI
• [26:07] Wildfire risks: actions for homes and communities
• [34:53] Wildfire insurance and resilience challenges
• [37:42] Balancing adaptation and mitigation
• [41:28] Political will for adaptation measures
• [45:50] Cost-effectiveness of adaptation
• [46:41] Don River and Waterpark Project
• [48:34] Innovation in resilience technologies
• [51:58] Heat risks and urban solutions
• [58:34] Final reflections on resilience efforts
Resources from Intact:
• Three Steps to Cost-Effective Home Flood Protection ([ Ссылка ])
• Three Steps to a Cost-Effective FireSmart™ Home ([ Ссылка ])
• Three Features of a Wildfire-Ready Community ([ Ссылка ])
• Three Steps to Cost-Effective Apartment and Condo Heat Protection ([ Ссылка ])
• Three Steps to Cost-Effective Home Heat Protection ([ Ссылка ])
Episode recorded on Dec 2, 2024 (Published on Jan 6, 2025)
Enjoyed this episode? Please leave us a review! Share feedback or suggest future topics and guests at info@mcj.vc (mailto:info@mcj.vc) .
Connect with MCJ:
• Cody Simms on LinkedIn ([ Ссылка ])
• Visit mcj.vc ([ Ссылка ])
• Subscribe to the MCJ Newsletter ([ Ссылка ])
*Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant ([ Ссылка ])
