Manitoba Climate Change Task Force - International Institute for ...

Urban Areas
More than 70 per cent 4 of Manitoba’s population lives in urban areas. Activities
by urban-based individuals and businesses account for a significant proportion
of the province’s annual greenhouse gas emissions. At the same time, climatic
changes in these areas will impact the majority of Manitobans.
Urban areas will not be immune to the more frequent and severe weather events
predicted by current climate change models. These predicted severe weather
events could further stress an already overtaxed civic infrastructure. Increased
precipitation in the spring and fall will likely place greater demands on storm-water
management systems. An increased risk of flooding will provide greater and
continued emergency systems management challenges. Predicted climate
changes may also make ensuring a safe and adequate supply of water more and
more difficult throughout the year due to lower water tables and more concentrated
exposure to contaminants. Additionally, while winter temperatures are predicted
to rise, so is snowfall, increasing the cost of snow clearing expenditures and the
occurrence and subsequent expense of winter automobile collisions.
With careful adaptation and mitigation strategies in place, urban communities
could overcome these challenges and introduce initiatives that will bring benefits.
Investing in energy efficiency in buildings and municipal facilities will save local
governments and taxpayers money in the medium term. In addition, thoughtful
urban planning and programs to expand public transportation will reduce
dependence on automobiles and lower transport-related emissions and contribute
to healthier communities.
4 Urban areas are defined as locations that have a
minimum population concentration of 1,000
and a population density of at least 400 people per
square kilometer, based on the previous census
population counts. Source: Statistics Canada, 1996
Census – A National Overview, cat# 93-357-XPB.
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