Majority think climate change is causing more frequent storms, but aren't taking action to protect their homes and communities
TORONTO, March 19, 2014 /CNW/ - Heavy rainstorms, snowfall and floods
increasingly dominate news headlines, with extreme weather events
directly affecting more than 3.5 million Canadians in 2013. According
to the seventh annual RBC Canadian Water Attitude Study, three-quarters
of Canadians (74 per cent) agree that climate change will cause these
events to happen more frequently. Yet just 23 per cent are concerned
about extreme weather causing droughts or flooding and only nine per
cent of Canadians have taken precautionary measures to protect
themselves and their homes from the effects of extreme weather events.
The poll of 2,074 Canadians between January 24 and February 12, 2014
also showed that people perceive floods to be more prevalent in Canada
compared to 10 years ago, with more than one-in-five Canadians (21 per
cent) saying that they live in an area vulnerable to flooding.
"There's no question that 2013 was the 'year of the urban flood' for
Canadians," says Bob Sandford, chair, Canadian Partnership Initiative
of the UN Water for Life Decade. "Extreme floods like the ones we saw
in Calgary and Toronto weren't a matter of 'if', they were simply a
matter of 'when'. So this level of inactivity on the part of Canadians
is concerning. You wouldn't go out in a rainstorm without an umbrella.
Why wouldn't you try to safeguard your home from the weather, too?"
Canadians seem unaware an increase in stormwater runoff is caused, in
part, by the amount of paving and concrete in our cities. Paved
driveways continue to be the preference of more than half (53 per cent)
of Canadians. And even when they learn that a water-permeable driveway
such as gravel or inter-locking stones will help the ground absorb
excess water, the majority of Canadians (55 per cent) wouldn't change
their preference for pavement.
Water experts are sounding the alarm
An increase in extreme rain and snow storms not only has an impact on
homes and property, it also causes significant strain at the municipal
level as well. "Storm water management systems in most towns and cities
simply weren't built to manage the volume of water we're seeing from
extreme storms," says Sandford. "Since urban storm water runoff is a
leading cause of water pollution, this can seriously degrade the
quality of our drinking water sources."
RBC also surveyed 134 stakeholders from government, business, NGOs and
academia. This poll showed that while a large majority (77 per cent) of
Canadian water experts believe the state of storm water management
systems in their region is a serious issue, only one-in-five (21 per
cent) of the general public believes that major investments in storm
water management are necessary.
"This lack of public awareness makes it very difficult for
municipalities to explain why investments in infrastructure are so
urgent," adds Sandford. "The right infrastructure is our most critical
defense against flooding. If we don't apply the resources necessary to
improve our storm water management systems, our towns and cities could
suffer the consequences for years to come."
Both water experts and Canadians in general agree that protecting
drinking water sources is the most serious water issue facing the
country today, and many Canadians are pessimistic that water issues
will be resolved in the next decade. Understanding the importance of
storm water management systems is one step in the right direction
towards protecting homes and cities from extreme weather damage.
What can Canadians do to prepare for the effects of extreme weather?
There are small changes Canadians can make around the home that have a
big impact when extreme weather hits.
-
Plant some green: Soil and plants can be the first defense against excessive water runoff
caused by heavy rainfall or snowmelt. Green spaces help absorb water
slowly into the ground and prevent it from rushing down storm sewers,
putting a strain on municipal systems. Increasing the amount of
vegetation around your home is simple, affordable and beautiful, and it
helps protect the quality of our water sources.
-
Install a downspout: Downspout disconnections, extensions and splash pads can help reduce
basement flooding because they direct water flow away from the home.
Ensure eaves troughs are clear and maintained so they work when a storm
strikes. Unfortunately this sort of preventative action is inconsistent
across the country. People in flood-prone Winnipeg (79 per cent) lead
the way in preventive actions such as maintaining downspouts this year,
while only 37 per cent of Montrealers are planning to do the same.
-
Keep storm drains clear: Make sure the storm drains near your house are free from leaves and
debris. The best time to inspect the storm drain is before a rain, ice
or snow storm. You should also monitor and clean the drains when the
trees are shedding their leaves.
Additional highlights from the survey include:
-
Eleven million Canadians know someone who was personally affected by
flooding in 2013
-
Sixty-nine per cent of Canadians agree that climate change is causing
more extreme weather and three quarters expect extreme weather to
increase in Canada
-
More than any other weather event, Canadians perceive floods to be
occurring more often in Canada compared to 10 years ago
-
There is a gap in Canadians' awareness about the water systems servicing
their home. More than two-in-five municipal water users are unaware of
the water supply, sewage, and storm water management systems servicing
their home
-
Just 10 per cent of Canadians believe that the greatest water problem 10
years from now will be the state of systems to help deal with excess
storm water from rain or snow
-
Only 13 per cent of Canadians are aware of the condition of storm water
management systems servicing their homes (2014)
About the RBC Canadian Water Attitudes Study
The 2014 Canadian Water Attitudes Study included an online survey
administered by GlobeScan between January 24 and February 12, 2014. It
included a sample of 2,074 Canadian adults from GMI's Canadian panel.
Weighting was employed to balance demographics, to ensure the sample's
composition reflects the adult population according to Canadian Census
data, and to provide results intended to approximate the sample
universe. Results were weighted by gender, age, region, and community
size. The sample included a minimum of 200 respondents in each of
Calgary, Halifax, Montreal, Vancouver, and Winnipeg and 300 in Toronto.
The margin of error for a strict probability sample for a sample of
this size (n=2,074) would be ± 2.2 percentage points, 19 times out of
20.
About RBC Blue Water Project
The RBC Blue Water Project is a historic, wide-ranging, 10-year global
commitment to help protect the world's most precious natural resource:
fresh water. Since 2007, RBC has pledged over $38 million to more than
650 charitable organizations worldwide that protect water, with an
additional $7.8 million pledged to universities for water programs. The
RBC Blue Water Project is focused on supporting initiatives that help
protect water in towns, cities, and urbanized areas. For further
information, visit www.rbc.com/bluewater.
RBC supports a broad range of community initiatives through donations,
sponsorships and employee volunteer activities. In 2013, we contributed
more than $104 million to causes worldwide, including donations and
community investments of more than $69 million and $35 million in
sponsorships.
To hear more results from the study, join the 2014 RBC Canadian Water Attitudes Study Webinar on Wednesday, April 2, 2014 at 11:00 am ET.
SOURCE RBC
