The world – and its climate – is changing. Some say it’s fighting back. Global temperatures are climbing, sea levels are rising and more intense droughts are threatening wildlife, food security and water.
Stopping this runaway train is a long-term goal for the planet, but Western University isn’t waiting. Scientists are already building resiliency through research – the most immediate action for staying on track.
Greg Kopp has dedicated his academic career to mitigating the might and menace of tornadoes and hailstorms on communities. Director of Western’s Canadian Severe Storms Laboratory, Kopp is committed to developing new solutions to reduce the risk of severe weather in Canada’s warm months, improving the safety of people across the country.
“Communities can improve their response to severe thunderstorms through short-term coping tactics and longer-term adaptive strategies – particularly as weather extremes increase due to climate change,” said Kopp, ImpactWX Chair in Severe Storms Engineering.
In partnership with Doug Tarry Homes and Western’s Institute for Catastrophic Loss Reduction, Kopp saw his research findings incorporated into the construction of 100 new homes to increase their ability to withstand tornadoes: one study tested longer nails for roof sheathing and a second experimented with a special screw connecting roof framing to the walls. For just a few hundred dollars in additional costs, Kopp and his team found new homes can be outfitted to withstand 95 per cent of all tornadoes, which historically cause considerable damage.
Simulating extreme weather to build climate-resilient cities
An expert on developing climate-resilient and sustainable buildings and neighbourhoods, Girma Bitsuamlak serves as director of Western’s WindEEE Dome – a unique hexagonal wind chamber with 106 controlled fans, allowing researchers to simulate complex weather systems such as tornadoes, downbursts and hurricanes.
This one-of-a-kind facility allows researchers like Bitsuamlak to test the effects of weather and climate change on the infrastructure we rely on in our daily lives, so engineers can develop better design codes and safer construction materials for individual buildings and entire communities.
“Western is already recognized for our wind engineering research and scientific experimentation, and now the WindEEE Dome is considered a vital partner for researchers around the world, as an essential facility for advancing wind engineering research projects from concept to reality,” Bitsuamlak said.
Protecting coastal communities from multi-hazard threats
Katsuichiro Goda, Earth Sciences professor and Canada Research Chair in Multi-Hazard Risk Assessment, explores coastal communities like Tofino, Havana and Bali, considered some of the most vulnerable to tsunamis in the world.
In Tofino, for example, residents already prepare diligently for tsunamis with annual evacuation drills and monthly early warning tests. Working with community leaders, Goda and his international collaborators are now using machine learning, seismic-tsunami mapping and future sea level rise prediction to further improve safety protocols in the surfing hotspot.
“When disaster strikes, it could be deadly if we don’t get early warnings and risk assessments right,” Goda said. “That’s why we are working with the local government and emergency officials in coastal communities like Tofino to develop long-term strategies and solutions that can be implemented by the people on the ground.”
