TORONTO, March 20, 2025 鈥� With $386,000 in funding from Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) through its under the , 91亚色 and its partners will evaluate the issues local governments face in adopting wildfire mitigation practices and determine how to scale up their mitigation efforts.

The project, Understanding and Improving Wildfire Mitigation Partnerships with Local Governments, which also received more than $100,000 in-kind from 91亚色, is led by 91亚色 emergency management Associate Professor of the Faculty of Liberal Arts and Professional Studies in collaboration with FireSmart Canada; the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources/Aviation, Forest Fires and Emergency Services; and Institute for Catastrophic Loss Reduction. It is particularly important today as the frequency and severity of wildfires continues to rise, increasingly threatening the health and safety of communities.

"By improving our wildfire knowledge, mitigation and response strategies, we can help reduce the impact of wildfires on our homes, communities, and economies," says the Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources. "The federal government is providing funding to academia, not-for-profits, community leaders, and governments to advance wildfire knowledge and strengthen wildfire preparedness and risk reduction efforts across the country ahead of the 2025 wildfire season."

Although individual residents in fire-prone areas can take various measures to protect their own properties, many come up against significant obstacles, including monetary and physical demands of the tasks. Replacing a roof or making changes to structural elements of a home or building is prohibitively expensive to many, even though the measures can have a really big impact.

鈥淚t's critically important to ensure that we explore and seize every opportunity to prevent fires throughout our communities. I am very pleased to see continued funding being directed towards the project led by 91亚色, as it demonstrates a strong commitment to safeguarding lives, property, and the environment. Working together at all levels, is key to creating effective and sustainable fire prevention strategies,鈥� says the Honourable Judy Sgro, Member of Parliament for Humber River-Black Creek.

That鈥檚 where local governments have a large role to play to ensure their entire communities, towns and cities are fire ready. 鈥淭hings like fire breaks can help intercept forest fires before they arrive at the community and while they're still on public land,鈥� says Kennedy, interim director of 91亚色 Emergency Mitigation, Engagement, Response, and Governance Institute (Y-EMERGE). 鈥淲e're seeing the embers from one house igniting another house and the embers from that house igniting another house, and this chain effect now largely ceases to be a forest fire or a wildland fire and is instead an urban fire.鈥�

He points out there are a bunch of known improvements that local governments can implement to reduce the vulnerability of individuals and families to potentially devastating wildfires.

Many local governments, however, have not been able to fully take advantage of the resources and funding available. This project will help to determine what supports local governments need to implement wildfire mitigation measures, such as encouraging the construction of more resilient neighbourhoods and building new developments with wider roads.

鈥淲e are looking at current uptake of residential mitigation by local governments and how to expand it, get people working together on this and ensure programs are designed in a way that makes it as easy as possible for communities and regions, cities and towns to tackle this really urgent problem,鈥� says Kennedy.

Fire risk mitigation programs are designed to not only help reduce building ignition and loss but also help prevent the fire from jumping from one home or building to another, which can help save lives and property, while making it safer for firefighters.

The project will look at the social, political, institutional and resourcing barriers; strategies, programs or interventions to overcome barriers; partnerships with local governments; and best practices for establishing, monitoring and evaluating ongoing relationships.

The second piece of the project includes creating interventions to improve the uptake of fire mitigation efforts across the country and developing national surveys and case studies to gain further insights.

鈥淥ne of the goals of the project is to share what we're learning, test drive some improvements and hopefully refine those over the course of the project,鈥� says Kennedy.

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Professor Afshin Rezaei-Zare discusses the 1859 geomagnetic storm, and others that have followed.听Geomagnetic storms are often linked to a "mesmerizing display" of the northern lights but聽carry the potential to wreak havoc on our modern technological infrastructure.听Rezaei-Zare聽leads a program that received a $1.65-million grant to help mitigate their potential impacts in Canada and the world. "Perhaps most concerning is ," Rezaei-Zare tells Toronto.com. "Modern electrical grids, satellite systems, and communication networks are highly vulnerable to the massive GICs such storms produce."

In an op-ed for The Conversation, Professor Jack L. Rozdilsky writes about the challenges facing recovery from the Jasper Complex Wildfire, which burned an estimated 32,722 hectares in July. Visiting the site as a researcher and to observe recovery efforts, he describes the "" of structures littering the charred landscape and how clean-up efforts will be complicated by snowfall. "Despite best efforts being made, if large tracts of disaster debris become frozen in place over winter, such a situation will impede recovery progress in 2025," writes Rozdilsky.

Professor Joe Mihevc, who served on Toronto City Council for nearly 30 years, comments on the city collecting resident feedback on the 2025 city budget through an online survey. Mihevc says Toronto needs to look for new revenue streams to pay for the priorities identified by residents. Mihevc tells CBC that , like continuing to ask the federal government to help cover the cost of shelters used by refugees or lobbying the province to cover the health and housing costs associated with growing homelessness.

Professor Ian Stedman writes about the looming federal election campaign, accountability, transparency and ethics for The Conversation. "Regardless of which party holds power, a striking flaw in Canada's political ethics framework is ," writes Stedman. "Ethics issues must be kept in public view and political parties should be pressured to offer meaningful reform ideas in their campaign and party platforms."

Ahead of Wednesday's Liberal caucus meeting where some MPs were expected to confront Prime Minister Justin Trudeau about his dropping popularity, Professor Dennis Pilon spoke to CityNews . He says that聽the Liberals have traditionally been less focused on rules around leadership reviews than other parties.

Professor Valerie Ann Preston talks to Toronto Star about a report by Statistics Canada that found international students and temporary foreign workers are paying more in monthly rent than Canadian-born tenants living in the same metropolitan areas. When differences were adjusted for neighbourhood, type of home and household size, international students paid less for shelter but temporary foreign workers still pay more than Canadian-born tenants. " because the rent premium for temporary farm workers persists even after you control for neighbourhood and you control for welling characteristics," says Preston. She adds that individuals in both groups tend to be newer to Canada with less knowledge about local rental markets, which puts them at a disadvantage. International students and temporary foreign workers are also primarily short-term renters. "Housing where you get international students and temporary foreign workers living is also housing that comes back on the market more often," she says. "The rents rise every time it becomes vacant."

91亚色's Markham Campus is prioritizing experiential education through its innovative biotechnology programs. Two standout offerings are the master of biotechnology management and graduate diploma in biotechnology programs. Dan Palermo, the interim deputy provost says the campus was designed to offer students hands-on learning experiences and aligns with the university's broader goal of . "This is what students are asking for," Palermo tells 91亚色Region.com. "It prepares them more effectively for the workforce."

Do you have a new research study or an academic achievement to share? Contact media@yorku.ca with details. For daily 91亚色 in the News highlights, follow on X.

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91亚色 is Canada鈥檚 preeminent disaster and emergency management university with undergraduate and graduate DEM degrees

TORONTO, May 6, 2024 鈥� Droughts, historic flooding, the possibility to beat last year鈥檚 worst wildfire season on record, stronger hurricanes and shifting tornado corridors, and that鈥檚 just in Canada. It may be Emergency Preparedness Week but managing the escalating disasters plaguing the world is a year-round effort, say 91亚色鈥檚 DEM experts.

Fires are still smoldering underground in British Columbia and Alberta, while new ones are already igniting, and the upcoming 2024 Atlantic hurricane season is predicted to generate the most named storms on record prompted by warmer than usual ocean temperatures.

Are the forecasted disasters unmanageable? 91亚色鈥檚 experts from the in the Faculty of Liberal Arts and Professional Studies are available to discuss how to identify, prepare for, mitigate and recover from disasters wherever they occur. They can also talk about emergency response, community training, disaster management and evacuation.

, director of the master鈥檚 DEM program, coordinator of the bachelor鈥檚 DEM program at 91亚色, is a working group member at the Canadian Dam Association on dam safety and emergency management issues, an adjunct professor at the United Nations University - Institute for Water, Environment and Health (UNU-INWEH), and a Co-Director of the CDSN-MINDS project on domestic operations for natural hazards in Canada. Agrawal鈥檚 book, (2018), provides a comprehensive approach for disaster risk evaluation, including identifying early warning systems for various types of hazards.

She can speak to:

• Flood risk due to urbanization
• Disaster risk management
• Physical dynamics of natural hazards
• Community resilience assessment using GIS and remote sensing
• How to better understand the science of a changing climate
• Navigating adaptation to climate-activated risks
• The issue of floodplains and is it too late to retreat?
• The importance of engaging communities to better understand gaps between perceptions and actual risks

is associate director of (ADERSIM) and 91亚色鈥檚 disaster institute Y-EMERGE, director of the Centre International de Formation des Autorit茅s et Leaders (CIFAL), and an expert in disaster and emergency planning and policy. His research includes creating for various types of natural, technological, and human made disaster events.

He can speak to:

• The impact of evacuation
• Criteria for evacuation in a disaster
• Disaster response, recovery and reconstruction
• Disaster simulation and exercise
• Use of emerging technologies such as artificial intelligent, virtual reality, and drones in disaster and emergency management 
• Emergency evacuation and shelter planning
• Economic aspects of disasters and emergencies

, an associate professor in Disaster & Emergency Management, associate director of Y-EMERGE, and editor-in-chief of the , is an expert in wildfire and forest fire management in Canada and around the world. He also specializes in the use of science, evidence, and science advice in disaster management.

He can discuss:

• Fire management & fire response in Canada and globally
• Causes and types of fires in Canada and impacts of climate change
• How individuals and governments can prepare for fire
• What happens during a fire response
• Changes and reforms needed to fire management and the importance of 鈥渓earning to live with鈥� fire rather than just fight it
• Social dimensions and human impacts of fire
• Wildfire misinformation
• Use of science & evidence in disasters; both wildfire and beyond

, an assistant professor and environmental and disaster sociologist, examines complex socio-environmental problems.

She can discuss:

• The role of local government in disaster and emergency management
• The importance of community-based research and engagement
• Community training around what to do in a disaster
• Innovative, educational and engagement strategies to strengthen societal disaster resilience, including serious games
• Flood risk management and governance

, associate professor, looks at social vulnerability and capability during and after disasters, risk assessment, as well as hosting and resettlement issues. She is currently working on a book project capturing the lived experience of various vulnerable groups facing disasters across Canada.  She is the principal investigator on , which is currently investigating the development of a stigma-focused agenda for emergency management. Mamuji is a member of the Digital Global Health and Humanitarianism Lab in the Dahdaleh Institute for Global Health Research, which examines how digital technologies are used in emergencies and disasters, as well as the challenges, risks, benefits and opportunities involved in their use.

She can speak to:

• Social vulnerability in disaster management
• Responses to international natural disasters
• Hazard and risk assessment
• Collaboration and coordination, during and after disasters
• Refugee resettlement
• Community-based initiatives

, assistant professor and sociocultural anthropologist, examines the connection between various individuals and social groups living and working at the intersection of environment and society, particularly when faced with extreme weather events, emergencies and disasters, including hurricanes, floods, tornadoes, and unusual heat, such as heat domes, in Canada and the United States.

She can discuss:

• How people perceive and communicate risk, including early warning notifications
• The role of discourse in disaster management
• Social vulnerability and disaster risk creation
• How people make decisions in response to threat and to mitigate harm聽
• Recovery following extreme events and disasters, with a focus on 鈥渟low healing鈥� and the importance of mental health in recovery outcomes
• Community engagement as a method for building disaster resilience

, an associate professor, is a subject matter expert in the field of emergency management. He has research and practice interest in the field of interdisciplinary emergency management and homeland security. He is also active in field-based qualitative research at locations that have been impacted by disasters of natural, technological, or social origins.听 His recent areas of specialty include terrorism, mass shootings, man-made hazards, and hazards of social origin.听Rozdilsky also has an interest in the study of infrequent and unusual disaster events.听Civil defense for nuclear war is one such topic being investigated.听He is working on forthcoming books related to social vulnerability in Canada and disaster and popular culture.听He is an also author for media outlets providing analysis of current events related to disasters, emergencies, and public safety.听His writings can be found in .听

He is available for comment on the following issues:

• General emergency management issues (natural, technological, social disasters)
• Disaster response
• Emergency preparedness
• Terrorism
• Mass shootings
• Man-made hazards
• Nuclear war threats
• Emergency management policy
• Canada鈥檚 federal Emergency Act
• Canada鈥檚 provincial state of emergency declarations
• Disasters in the United States

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Individual and social factors contribute to lack of preparedness, despite many available residential wildfire mitigation and educational programs, study reveals

TORONTO, October 23, 2023 鈥揟his year, Canada saw the worst wildfire season in its history, with fires destroying homes, displacing thousands of residents, and burning the largest area since contemporary records began in 1983. Much of this damage to communities could be reduced with better wildfire preparedness 鈥� but wildland urban interface (WUI) communities often face significant barriers in implementing these improvements, according to a study by 91亚色鈥檚 Disaster and Emergency Management researchers.

According to the study, , published in the , there are many residential wildfire mitigation and educational programs to protect residential communities from wildfires and to help prevent related disasters.

鈥淯nfortunately, knowing how to protect and mitigate the risk to WUI communities from wildfire is not sufficient,鈥� says in the Faculty of Liberal Arts and Professional Studies, who co-authored the study. 鈥淯nderstanding what will lead to adoption of prevention measures is a high-priority issue to better prepare for future wildfire seasons.鈥�

These kinds of studies 鈥� known as scoping reviews 鈥� help to identify patterns and consensus in scientific research. Kennedy鈥檚 co-author and 91亚色 graduate Sarah Cowan presented the results today at the 14th International Symposium on Fire Safety Science, IAFSS2023, held in Tsukuba, Japan. She highlighted that based on their review of 78 academic journal articles published in the last decade, several individual and social factors that contribute to a lack of preparedness were identified.

鈥淲e found a number of things that might help to increase wildfire preparedness. For example, many studies that we reviewed documented how the lack of money, time, resources or physical ability can impair the ability to make improvements to a property,鈥� highlights wildfires researcher Kennedy.

鈥淔or instance, many of the home improvements can be expensive, and if you don鈥檛 have the money, financial support, or even support from your insurance company with incorporating improvements during rebuilding, it can be really challenging to make a difference. Same thing if we have an aging population. Cutting back vegetation or emptying and cleaning your eavestroughs can be physically demanding.鈥�

The authors saw a pattern in how some residential organizations can negatively impact wildlife preparedness.

鈥淪tudies also showed that rules and norms set by some homeowners鈥� associations can sometimes make properties more vulnerable and more likely to burn,鈥� says Kennedy. 鈥淔or instance, if they were trying to preserve certain esthetics, they might use materials that burn more easily or capture embers from nearby fires.鈥�

He adds that homeowners鈥� associations and municipalities should ensure building codes are in line with best practices to prevent such disasters.

鈥淭here really is an opportunity to broaden out the locations where these studies are being done. We need more research with more communities to help us understand how to develop solutions that can work across diverse contexts,鈥� Kennedy observes.

The authors also note that a majority of the studies on this topic have been done in Australia, Canada and the US.

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Microvasculature is an under researched aspect of effect on cardiovascular system, say 91亚色 kinesiologists, who can give interviews in English and French 

TORONTO, August 23, 2023 鈥� As wildfires continue to have devastating impacts in communities around the world and here in Canada, a team of researchers from 91亚色 say our current understanding of potential long-term health risks from particulate matter (PM) exposure are limited and mostly ignore the microvascular system.

A network of tiny arterioles and capillaries, the microvascular system may be just as important as the heart, lungs and arteries when it comes to understanding the health dangers of PM resulting from forest fires.

and , professors with 91亚色鈥檚 School of Kinesiology and Health Science in the Faculty of Health, spent a portion of their summer on the French Island of Corsica in the Mediterranean, where summer wildfires are common. They have created a partnership with the CNRS Wildland Forest Unit at the University of Corsica Pasquale Paoli (UCPP) and Corsican fire authorities to further their research and outlining the challenges posed by this kind of study on a population level, calling for a rethink to how it's approached.

鈥淲hile it's understandable that initial attention focuses on the immediate impacts of losses and casualties after a wildfire, we know that there are also longer-term impacts from exposure to particulate matter pollution 鈥� but it鈥檚 a very challenging area of study when it comes to wildfires,鈥� says Roudier, who is leading the research project.

鈥淔irefighters think about lung cancer, because they breathe the smoke, but because the fires are getting higher in temperature, the particulate matter is getting really small, so small that some can reach the bloodstream. The PM are then in the cardiovascular system, they are traveling through our blood vessels. We are questioning whether we are using the right measurements to assess the risk posed to firefighters and the affected population. Having better tools, or additional tools, could hopefully lead to better solutions to mitigate risks.鈥�

The paper notes that in North America, the length of the wildfire season has increased by nearly a fifth in the last 35 years, making the need to answer these questions more pressing. Population growth and development has increased human exposure to wildfire areas, growing the likelihood of both accidental ignition and fire suppression policies that can lead to an accumulation of biomass fuels. While there is a clear link in the literature to PM pollution and cardiovascular disease, linking this to wildfires has been harder to show, given the complexities of studying this on a population level.

Birot, an associate professor who worked as a volunteer firefighter for seven years during his undergraduate and postgraduate studies, teaches a course at 91亚色 that looks at extreme environments and their effects on health, including PM exposure and exercise.

鈥淭his microcirculation is not only important for delivering oxygen and nutrients to our tissues 鈥� it is also key for communication exchanges between organs, for example between the working muscle and the brain. And it is also this microcirculation that鈥檚

key to dissipate excess body heat, moving heat for the core of the body to the peripheral skin. So think about wildland firefighters who are engaging in long periods of intense physical activity, in a context where they're going to produce heat because of their activity. And they are doing that in an environment that is polluted and extremely hot. So you鈥檙e combining a lot of stressors,鈥� he says.

The two have obtained samples of PM from wildland fires in Corsica and have started to analyze them back at their lab at 91亚色 to test their effect on human endothelial cells, which line the inner layer of blood vessels. They are looking for epigenetic biomarkers that could act as early warning systems for those who might be more vulnerable.

A delegation from UCPP will be coming to 91亚色 in October and Roudier and Birot will head back to Corsica in December to do field work where they鈥檒l collect new PM samples from controlled biomass burning and to expand their collaboration with Corsican fire authorities.

About 91亚色

91亚色 is a modern, multi-campus, urban university located in Toronto, Ontario. Backed by a diverse group of students, faculty, staff, alumni and partners, we bring a uniquely global perspective to help solve societal challenges, drive positive change, and prepare our students for success. 91亚色鈥檚 fully bilingual Glendon Campus is home to Southern Ontario鈥檚 Centre of Excellence for French Language and Bilingual Postsecondary Education. 91亚色鈥檚 campuses in Costa Rica and India offer students exceptional transnational learning opportunities and innovative programs. Together, we can make things right for our communities, our planet, and our future.

Media Contacts: Emina Gamulin, 91亚色 Media Relations and External Communications, 437-217-6362, egamulin@yorku.ca

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La microcirculation repr茅sente une part sous-茅tudi茅e du syst猫me cardiovasculaire dans le contexte des feux de for锚t selon des chercheurs en kin茅siologie de l'Universit茅 91亚色, qui sont disponibles pour des entretiens tant en anglais qu'en fran莽ais

TORONTO, 23 ao没t, 2023 鈥� Tandis que les feux de for锚t continuent d'avoir un impact d茅vastateur 脿 travers le monde et ici au Canada, une 茅quipe de chercheurs de l'Universit茅 91亚色 soulignent que notre compr茅hension de l'impact 脿 long terme des microparticules pr茅sentes dans les fum茅es reste encore limit茅e, et que dans ce contexte le r么le de la microcirculation est tr猫s sous-茅tudi茅.

La microcirculation englobe nos art茅rioles et capillaires sanguins et pourrait 锚tre tout aussi importante 脿 prendre en compte que nos poumons, notre c艙ur, ou nos art猫res dans le contexte de l'exposition aux fum茅es des feux de for锚t.

Emilie Roudier et Olivier Birot, professeurs 脿 la Facult茅 de la Sant茅 et au sein de l'脡cole de kin茅siologie et science de la sant茅, reviennent de Corse, une 卯le fran莽aise de M茅diterran茅e, o霉 les feux de for锚t peuvent 锚tre fr茅quents. Ils ont en effet engag茅 une collaboration scientifique avec une 茅quipe de recherche de l'Universit茅 de Corse Pasquale Paoli et du CNRS, sp茅cialis茅e dans l'茅tude des feux de for锚t. Ensemble, ils viennent de publier un article qui souligne justement les difficult茅s d'茅tudier l'impact sur la sant茅 des fum茅es de feux de for锚t et notamment le manque de connaissance sur la microcirculation. 

"Il est tout 脿 fait compr茅hensible que l'attention imm茅diate porte sur les pertes humaines, animales, environnementale et mat茅rielles lors des feux de for锚t, mais nous savons tr猫s bien que l'exposition aux microparticules pr茅sentes dans les fum茅es peuvent repr茅senter un risque certain que ce soit 脿 court-terme ou 脿 plus long terme. Ce domaine de recherche reste toutefois assez compliqu茅, particuli猫rement dans le contexte des feux de for锚t" selon professeure Roudier, pilot  du projet de recherche.

"Les pompiers engag茅s sur les feux de for锚t pensent par exemple au cancer du poumon car ils respirent bien 茅videmment les fum茅es. Certaines microparticules lib茅r茅es 脿 hautes temp茅ratures peuvent 锚tre suffisamment petites en taille pour passer dans la circulation sanguine. Elles sont alors libres de circuler dans l'ensemble de notre syst猫me cardiovasculaire. Avons-nous alors les bons outils pour 茅valuer un tel risque tant au niveau des pompiers que de la population? Peut-锚tre que de meilleurs outils, ou des outils compl茅mentaires, notamment l'茅valuation de la microcirculation, pourrait permettre de mieux cerner, voire de limiter, ces risques."

L'article indique qu'en Am茅rique du Nord la dur茅e des saisons de feux de for锚t a augment茅 par environs 20% au cours des 35 derni猫res ann茅es, rendant toutes ces interrogations plus pressantes. L'augmentation de la population et le d茅veloppement des zones habit茅es contribue 茅galement 脿 exposer plus fr茅quemment la population aux feux de for锚t, notamment via une augmentation du risque de feux accidentels mais aussi 脿 la suite des politiques de suppression des feux de friche qui peuvent conduire 脿 une accumulation de mati猫res combustibles. Si le lien entre microparticules et maladies cardiovasculaires est bien 茅tabli, celui avec les feux de for锚t reste toutefois plus difficile 脿 d茅montrer sur le plan scientifique notamment en raison de la complexit茅 d'茅tudier cela 脿 l'茅chelon de la population.

Professeur Birot, qui a travaill茅 comme pompier volontaire pendant 7 ans durant enseigne 茅galement un cours 脿 91亚色 traitant de la physiologie en environnements extr锚mes et notamment l'activit茅 physique en pr茅sence de pollution aux microparticules.

"La microcirculation n'est pas simplement importante pour approvisionner nos tissus en oxyg猫ne ou en nutriments. Elle est par exemple impliqu茅e dans la capacit茅 de communication entre diff茅rents tissus, comme le cerveau. C'est aussi cette microcirculation qui va jouer un r么le cl茅 pour dissiper la chaleur produite par l'organisme. Pensez aux pompiers forestiers qui sont engag茅s pendant de longues p茅riodes d'activit茅 physique soutenue, un contexte o霉 l'organisme va lib茅rer beaucoup de chaleur, et cela dans un environnement tr猫s chaud et pollu茅! On combine l脿 plusieurs stress physiologiques et environnementaux" dit-il.

Les deux chercheurs ont obtenu des microparticules isol茅es lors de br没lage v茅g茅taux en Corse et ils ont d茅but茅 脿 91亚色 une s茅rie d'exp茅riences afin d'茅valuer l'impact de ces microparticules sur des cultures de cellules endoth茅liales humaines, ces cellules qui composent principalement nos vaisseaux sanguins. Ils recherchent notamment des biomarqueurs 茅pig茅n茅tiques qui pourraient servir 脿 mieux prot茅ger les individus les plus vuln茅rables aux fum茅es.

Une d茅l茅gation de l'Universit茅 de Corse sera en visite 脿 91亚色 en octobre prochain. Quant 脿 Roudier et Birot, ils retourneront sur le terrain en Corse en d茅cembre afin de collecter de nouveaux 茅chantillons de microparticules et de renforcer leur collaboration avec le service incendie de Corse.

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TORONTO, Tuesday April 28, 2020 鈥� As Canada heads into flood and wildfire season, how does the current situation with COVID-19 stretch resources to effectively plan for and manage these potential disasters, as well as react and organize evacuations if necessary?

Three professors from the Disaster & Emergency Management (DEM) Program in the Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies are available to discuss how dealing with a pandemic could affect efforts to manage a disaster or emergency and what can be done.

Associate Professor says early warning systems and the use of prediction modelling could help with advanced planning and management. She emphasizes the necessity for coordination of efforts of various stakeholders from local, provincial and federal levels if necessary, including the health-care system, disaster management organizations, community organizations and subject matter experts.

In Alberta, the Athabasca River in Fort McMurray is currently ice-jammed, and due to the concern of flooding, gas is being shut off to Grayling Terrace. The heat or hot water will not be available for residents if they do not evacuate. With the evacuation order in place, physical distancing and the risk of contracting the coronavirus will be challenging for the emergency management professionals to navigate. Similar concerns are around northern communities in Ontario that are evacuated annually due to floods.

Complexities due to COVID-19 include potential flooding in places like the Toronto Islands as Lake Ontario levels rise. 鈥淔requent and prolonged floods cause water-borne diseases that can have devasting compounding effects with COVID-19, which is known for diarrhea and nausea,鈥� says Agrawal.

Assistant Professor can talk about how wildfire management strategies need to be adapted as a result of COVID-19 and how agencies are preparing for these overlapping disasters given the active wildfire season forecasted. Firefighting often involves a lot of people working together in close quarters, which is a difficult model given constraints under the pandemic.

鈥淲ildfire management agencies are preparing for a unique wildfire season,鈥� says Kennedy. 鈥淢any of the normal strategies - from operational headquarters to tents in the field - need to be considered in light of the pandemic.鈥�

Assistant Professor can discuss evacuations, in which communities are relocated to a host community. The current public health measures will make management of evacuations, especially those on of a large scale, particularly challenging. Whether it鈥檚 transportation that respects physical distancing or the effective management of evacuation centres and group lodging facilities in a way that limits the potential spread of disease, adherence to current guidelines will be difficult.

At the same time, options such as staying with friends or family may not be possible due to restrictions.

Mamuji says emergency managers and social services need to plan ahead for those communities most at risk of flooding or wildfires. They should be creative in terms of lodging, realize that personal protective equipment for evacuees will be needed, and ensure that additional supports are available.

鈥淚t鈥檚 important to have mental health supports available as the stress of compounded disasters is unimaginable,鈥� says Mamuji.

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