Data Limitations and Opportunities in Canadian Multi-Hazard Research

The frequency and impact of natural hazards are increasing globally, driven by factors such as population growth, urbanization, and the effects of climate change. Canada is no exception, as the country is warming at twice the global rate. As the second largest nation in the world, Canada faces a diverse array of natural hazards. However, floods, wildfires, landslides and extreme rainfall are the most prevalent and impactful events affecting communities across the country.

Severe weather further increases the probability of multiple hazards occurring, especially in areas of Canada that are already vulnerable. There are many aspects in characterizing how existing hazard interrelationships emerge, through compounding, cascading or triggering means, and limited data to capture this. The complexity of these interactions stem from the different metrics and data representations required to capture each single natural hazard. Although natural hazards, their related climate conditions, and underlying mechanisms have been studied, there is limited documentation regarding the characterization of multi-hazard events at the national scale. This gap may result in the exclusion of multi-hazard risks from risk assessments, potentially leading to inaccurate evaluations of associated risks.

Our study reviews public datasets of natural hazards in Canada, to layer the occurrence and localizations of hazards to expand on data repositories for multi-hazard study use. The analysis highlights current gaps in available data and the limitations still facing multi-hazard research such as categorizing hazard type combinations based on incomplete or biased records and defining spatial and temporal patterns. Analysis underscores the occurrence of cascading multi-hazard events across Canada, particularly landslides triggered by other natural processes such as extreme rainfall. Comparing datasets helps quantify and characterize limitations and provides a baseline for better understanding the climate conditions and mechanisms of multi-hazards in Canada.