Thank you to the UBC Disaster Resilience Research Network for co-hosting this hybrid event on Wednesday February 26. Please join us in Kelowna on Friday March 14, 12:00 - 1:30pm in EME Room 3112 for the second part of this series. As always, please bring your own mug whenever possible.
This summary has been prepared by Sidonie Wittman based on discussion at our Climate Conversation.
As the climate changes, so too does the intensity and frequency of extreme events and associated hazards. When these hazards overlap with one another, the impacts go beyond those of the individual events themselves. These compounding hazards, where two or more hazards occur either simultaneously or in succession, are becoming increasingly common. At the first of two Climate Conversations dedicated to the topic, three speakers from the UBC Disaster Resilience Research Network shared their approach to understanding these hazards from multiple disciplinary perspectives.
Assistant Professor Rachel White (Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences) provided a framework of five different types of compounding hazards: 1) multivariate, where multiple hazards co-occur in one location; 2) temporally compounding, where successive hazards occur in the same location; 3) spatially compounding, where multiple hazards occur simultaneously in different but connected locations; 4) pre-conditioned compounding hazards, where pre-existing conditions in a location exacerbate impacts of events; and 5) complex events, where non-climatic stressors (i.e. Covid-19) exacerbate climate hazards.
British Columbia has experienced a number of compound hazards recently. Notably, the heatwave in June 2021 that impacted the Pacific Northwest contributed to an extreme fire season that year. This enhanced the risk of landslides in the region, which compounded upon the intense flooding in November 2021 associated with record-high precipitation levels from atmospheric rivers. The combined damage and strain on resources in 2021 was more dramatic than would have been if these events had been farther apart, either spatially and temporally, making recovery much more challenging. Other examples, including dramatic wildfires in Western North America combined with hurricanes in Eastern North America, can overstretch support resources across a country.
Assistant Professor Kathryn McConnell (Sociology) spoke about how these physical hazards and impacts can also be influenced by institutional decisions. She spoke about recent research where she examined public safety power shutoffs (PSPSs) in California and potential co-occurrence with periods of high heat. As a way of mitigating risk, utility companies have begun a practice of turning off electricity when there is high wildfire risk because transmission lines have been the source of many destructive fires in the state (including this major fire in 2019). Analyzing the timing of PSPSs over a specific period of study, researchers found that one quarter of the shut-offs coincided with high temperature events; further, the affected regions had a higher proportion of older residents and people living in mobile homes than those not impacted by the shut offs. As a result, these residents who are already vulnerable to high heat, may be unable to use air conditioning or other cooling devices. These institutional decisions can themselves contribute to compounding hazards, potentially then putting impacted residents at greater risk than if these factors occurred separately.
Postdoctoral Research Fellow Sarah Dickson-Hoyle (Forestry) spoke about her ongoing collaborative research with Secwépemc Nation communities, and her experience researching the recovery of the 2017 Elephant Hill wildfire which burned around 200,000 hectares in Secwépemc territory. She described how, over the course of this research, these same communities and territories were impacted again by compounding climate-related hazards, from wildfires to flooding. This experience of both studying, enduring, and watching disaster unfold has had a profound impact. She has witnessed communities evacuating and losing access to their land over long periods of time, and described how the harm has compounded over the years. She also spoke of the toll that this form of disaster research takes on researchers, describing how ecological grief is compounded with both secondary and direct exposure to wildfire-related trauma. She advocated for stronger institutional support and training for researchers working in communities and landscapes impacted by climate related hazards. She also emphasized the resilience of communities she works with, some of whom are using cultural and prescribed burning to promote resilience and culture.
Overall, all the presenters spoke to the importance of a collaborative, interdisciplinary approach to addressing compounding hazards. As the complexity of hazards increases, our response must be increasingly complex and interdisciplinary. Hazards must be studied from both a physical and social sciences point of view, to truly see their effect and create meaningful solutions for communities. The speakers called for hubs and networks to connect researchers across disciplines and within and beyond academia, to promote resilience and connection in a time of increasing compounding hazards.
If you missed this event, be sure to come to our Compound Hazards Climate Conversation in Kelowna on March 14th. Thank you to the Disaster Resilience Research Network for co-hosting this event, and to all who came and shared their questions and expertise.