Climate-informed standards and guidance
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Title |
Description |
Product type |
Asset/Hazard |
Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
A Climate Risks-Informed Approach to Asset Management in Northern Regions |
This technical specification covers the integration of climate risk into asset management for Northern infrastructure. It seeks to help community asset planners, designers, and managers ensure that built and natural assets are prepared to withstand extreme weather events and climate changes to continue delivering optimal services throughout their lifecycle. |
Specification |
Permafrost Thaw |
2025 |
A Methodology for Assessing the Embodied Carbon Impacts of Residential Climate Resilience Measures |
This report presents a methodology for understanding embodied carbon and the lifetime carbon impacts of residential climate adaptation measures intended to mitigate against extreme weather events. It proposes a standardized process for advising building professionals on identifying carbon impacts of climate resilience measures, and focuses on four types of residential buildings (detached/semi-detached houses, townhouses and duplexes) and four distinct climate hazards (flooding, wildfires, hail and high winds). |
Specification |
Buildings and Housing |
2024 |
Adaptation to Climate Change - Principles, Requirements and Guidelines |
This standard specifies principles, requirements and guidelines to support the development of sector-, aspect- or element-specific climate change adaptation standards. Applicable to any organization, regardless of size, type and nature, this standard includes the integration of adaptation within or across organizations, understanding impacts and uncertainties and how these can be used to inform decisions. |
Standard |
Other Asset, Other Hazard |
2025 |
Airborne Lidar Data Acquisition |
This standard provides national requirements and guidance for planning, collecting, processing, validating, and delivering airborne lidar data in Canada. Developed using federal open-source lidar guidelines and permitted International Hydrographic Organization material, the standard supports consistent, high-quality elevation data acquisition for use by geomatics professionals, engineers, planners, and other users with a basic understanding of lidar technology. |
Standard |
Community and Planning, Climate Monitoring and Data |
2025 |
Antennas, Towers, and Antenna-Supporting Structures |
This standard provides detailed specification for climate change adaptation including factor resistance formulas and construction loads in the design, fabrication, erection and modification of structural antennas, towers, antenna-supporting structures, and roof- and wall-mounted structures, including components. |
Standard |
Communications Infrastructure |
2024 |
Asphalt Shingles Made from Glass Felt and Surfaced with Mineral Granules |
This standard covers asphalt roofing shingles composed of impregnated glass felt, coated on both sides with asphaltic material and surfaced on the weather side with mineral granules. It is designed for the evaluation of products as they are manufactured or as agreed upon between the purchaser/user and the manufacturer/supplier. It includes a high wind (150 mph) classification, which was informed by HICC-funded technical advice. |
Standard |
Buildings and Housing, Wind |
2022 |
Automated Hydrometeorological Monitoring Stations: Site Selection, Instrument Installation, and Instrument Maintenance |
This standard provides Canadian monitoring network operator requirements and recommendations for selecting sites for automated, surface-based, hydrometeorological monitoring stations, and broad guidance for installing and maintaining commonly used automated hydrometeorological instrumentation. It covers dissemination of metadata; site selection, instrument installation, and instrument maintenance; and data quality rating system and dissemination. |
Standard |
Climate Monitoring and Data |
2022 |
These guidelines include checklists and technical sheets describing three tiers of basement flood protection options (“good”, “better”, “best”) for Part 9 residential buildings of the National Building Code of Canada, as well as home insurance implications. The tiered approach allows for incremental adoption of resilience practices by the Canadian home building, renovation, and insurance industries. |
Guidance |
Flooding, Buildings and Facilities |
2025 |
|
Canadian Electrical Code Overhead Systems |
This standard, which forms part of the Canadian Electrical Code, Part III, provides requirements for the construction of overhead systems, including electric supply and communication lines and equipment located outside of buildings and supply stations or inside of utilities. It includes requirements to adapt to climate change, including flooding and flood hazard zones, weather loadings, vegetation management, discontinuous permafrost and ice removal, which were informed by HICC-funded technical advice. |
Standard |
Flooding, Other Hazard, Permafrost Thaw, Energy Infrastructure |
2020 |
Canadian Electrical Code, Part I, (25th Edition), Safety Standard for Electrical Installations |
This code applies to all electrical work and electrical equipment operating or intended to operate at all voltages in electrical installations for buildings, structures, and premises. It includes requirements to adapt to climate change, including mitigating the impacts of flooding, which were informed by HICC-funded technical advice. |
Standard |
Flooding, Energy Infrastructure |
2021 |
Canadian Highway Bridge Design Code |
This 13th Edition of the Canadian Highway Bridge Design Code includes updates on climate change design requirements, hydrologic and hydraulic methods, durability, and seismic criteria. The new climate adaptation provisions, including updated climatic data and exposure conditions, were informed by HICC-funded technical guidance. |
Standard |
Roads and bridges |
2025 |
Canadian Metadata Standard for Hydrometeorological Monitoring Stations |
This standard promotes best practices for collecting metadata for hydrometeorological stations and for publishing those metadata publicly at a central repository. It also provides data users with the metadata taxonomy and the necessary definitions of the metadata elements. |
Standard |
Climate Monitoring and Data |
2020 |
Canadian Supplement to AAMA/WDMA/CSA 101/I.S.2/A440-17, North American Fenestration Standard/Specification for Windows, Doors, and Skylights |
This standard provides simplified methods to calculate the minimum performance levels for resistance to water penetration, wind loads, and snow loads for fenestration products on buildings in Canada. Annex B introduces the issue of climate change and its associated effects on fenestration in buildings for consideration by designers. This Supplement is for use in conjunction with AAMA/WDMA/CSA 101/I.S.2/A440-17. |
Standard |
Buildings and Housing, Snow, Wind |
2022 |
Climate Change Adaptation for Wastewater Treatment Plants |
This standard addresses considerations for adapting wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) to a changing climate by reviewing climate, regulatory, risk, design, construction, and operations and maintenance aspects. It applies to existing, new, or retrofit/upgrade projects and provides a user-friendly framework and tool for designers, engineers, and managers to use when designing, constructing, or operating/maintaining WWTPs. |
Standard |
Wastewater |
2023 |
Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment for Dams in Canada |
This standard provides a structured approach for assessing how climate change may affect dams in Canada. It evaluates both dam components and operations to identify potential vulnerabilities and supports long-term asset management and climate adaptation planning. While it aligns with Canadian Dam Association (CDA) guidelines and does not replace legal requirements for dam safety, it offers detailed guidance focused on assessing climate-related risks to dam systems. |
Standard |
Dams and Levees |
2025 |
This guide offers voluntary guidance to Indigenous communities across Canada for implementing community-based climate monitoring projects. It shares advice on how to collect, record and validate data on key physical climate variables consistently and reliably using scientific methods. It also outlines best practices for recording, storing and sharing Indigenous Knowledge related to climate change while respecting Indigenous principles for data collection, analysis and management. |
Guidance |
Climate Monitoring and Data, Community and Planning |
2024 |
|
Climate Resilience Buildings: Guideline for Management of Overheating Risk in Residential Buildings |
This guideline establishes a foundation for evaluating and managing overheating risk in residential buildings (single-detached, row houses, and mid-rise multi-unit buildings). It provides data and recommendations based on applications of the framework for Ottawa, ON, using historical climate observations and future projections from Environment and Climate Change Canada. It is intended to support the design, construction, and retrofit of residential buildings under typical Canadian practices. |
Guidance |
Buildings and Housing, Extreme Heat |
2022 |
Climate-RCI |
This web tool assesses the resilience of roofing systems based on projected climatic loads for cities across Canada. It is intended to help users navigate the performance requirements referenced in CSA A123.26:21, Performance Requirements for Climate Resilience of Low Slope Membrane Roofing Systems |
Tool |
Buildings and Housing, Wind |
2021 |
Coastal Flood Risk Assessment for Buildings and Infrastructure |
This standard applies to coastal flood risk assessments for both the design of new or retrofit of existing buildings and infrastructure in Canada. It does not apply to coastal and marine infrastructure. The standard is based on guidelines developed using HICC funding. |
Standard |
Buildings and Housing, Flooding |
2024 |
Community Drainage System Planning, Design, and Maintenance in Northern Communities |
This standard specifies the minimum planning, design, and maintenance requirements for community drainage systems in Canada's northern communities to increase the capacity of communities and individuals to prepare and implement effective community drainage plans. Addresses both existing and anticipated drainage management challenges arising from deficiencies in past practices, as well as the need to adapt to climate change. |
Standard |
Stormwater, Flooding, Permafrost Thaw |
2020 |
Construction of Bioretention Systems |
This standard covers construction considerations for bioretention systems that manage urban stormwater runoff. It includes a range of topics spanning contract documentation, construction sequencing, erosion and sediment control, construction documentation, material supply and handling, installation considerations, landscape materials and maintenance, construction warranty maintenance and assumption protocols. |
Standard |
Stormwater, Flooding, Natural Infrastructure |
2023 |
Data Qualification for Canadian Automated Hydrometeorological Monitoring Stations |
This standard provides a framework to assess, tabulate, and quantify factors contributing to the quality of hydrometeorological data. It includes a description of the data quality rating system, a description of organization-wide factors linked to management systems, training and certification of operators, as well as data storage and archiving policies, and a description of instrument-specific factors. |
Standard |
Climate Monitoring and Data |
2022 |
Design and Construction of Low-Rise Residential and Small Buildings to Resist High Wind |
This standard provides best practice guidance for the design and construction of low-rise, wood-frame buildings to withstand high winds corresponding to EF-2 tornado-level wind speeds. It was developed primarily for new wood-frame building construction, and can also be applied to major alterations and additions to existing buildings where the entire continuous vertical and lateral load path can be upgraded with all primary structural requirements. |
Standard |
Buildings and Housing, Wind |
2022 |
Design of Bioretention Systems |
This standard provides requirements and recommendations for the design of bioretention systems intended for the management of urban stormwater runoff. It covers bioretention with and without underdrains, biofilters (impermeable liner), and bioretention planters and bump-outs (curb extensions). |
Standard |
Stormwater, Flooding, Natural Infrastructure |
2023 |
This tool provides access to historical and future-projected climatic design variables relevant to the National Building Code of Canada and the Canadian Highway Bridge Design Code for over 600 locations in Canada. It is also a source of historical information on certain types of climate extremes and their projected change under global climate change. |
Tool |
Climate Monitoring and Data |
2022 |
|
Developing and Interpreting Intensity-Duration-Frequency (IDF) Information Under a Changing Climate |
This standard provides methods to formulate and interpret Intensity-Duration-Frequency (IDF) curves, including establishing historical IDF rainfall estimates and incorporating climate change into IDF information, for use in floodplain mapping, flooding emergency preparedness, and stormwater management. |
Standard |
Flooding, Climate Monitoring and Data, Stormwater |
2025 |
Durability in Buildings |
This standard provides criteria and requirements for the design of a durable building and its building elements. It includes provisions for cost analysis and management and for a quality management program for the design, construction, operation, maintenance, repair, and renovation of a building and its building elements. Annexes to the standard provide a framework within which the design service life of a building or a building element can be determined and specified, as well as general guidance on the environmental and other design factors that impact the durability of a building and its materials and/or components. |
Standard |
Buildings and Housing |
2024 |
This technical book explores efforts to implement criteria, techniques, and tools for the life-cycle design, assessment, maintenance, and management of civil structures and infrastructure systems under climate change. This book was informed by research funded by HICC. |
Report |
Extreme Heat, Flooding, Wind, Snow, Other hazard |
2024 |
|
Erosion and Sedimentation Management for Northern Community Infrastructure |
This standard addresses the management of erosion and sedimentation risks in northern communities, covering assessment, planning, design, and maintenance of strategies. It outlines procedures for risk assessment, vulnerability, and factors that impact erosion and sedimentation in land use and infrastructure planning. |
Standard |
Community and Planning, Erosion, Permafrost Thaw |
2024 |
Existing Sanitary Sewer Systems — Inflow and Infiltration Reduction Program — Guidelines |
These guidelines support the establishment of proactive inflow and infiltration (I/I) reduction programs in existing sanitary sewer systems. Topics covered include I/I data collection and analysis, program development, public and private reduction strategies, and ongoing maintenance to minimize efforts and lower cost over the long term. |
Standard |
Wastewater, Stormwater, Flooding |
2025 |
Fire Resilient Planning for Northern Communities |
This standard provides a guideline for planning and design of new fire resilient northern wildland urban interface (WUI) community subdivisions and developments. It specifies requirements for fire resilient community planning, building design, materials for new developments, and also for re-locatable industrial, commercial, or residential structures in northern regions. It applies to the external vulnerabilities of structures to wildfire within the interface zone areas in northern communities. Approaches described can also be applied to non-Northern regions. |
Standard |
Community and Planning, Wildfire |
2019 |
Flood Resilient Design for New Residential Communities |
This standard provides compliance criteria and guidance on the design of flood-resilient new residential communities focusing only on greenfield development. This standard does not address flood resilience considerations as they relate to existing development, infill, intensification, or redevelopment (these are covered instead in CSA W210:21, Prioritization of Flood Risk in Existing Communities). |
Standard |
Community and Planning, Flooding |
2024 |
Fundamentals for Thermal Comfort and Safety: Designing Climate-Ready Playgrounds |
This guide provides practical advice for managing thermal comfort in playground designs. It includes practical information about how to incorporate climate considerations, conduct site assessments, implement modifications, maintain site structures, and evaluate outcomes. |
Guidance |
Community and Planning, Extreme Heat |
2025 |
Geomatics for Flood Mapping |
This standard establishes national requirements for geospatial data, mapping components, and data standards used in flood studies across Canada. Based on federal open-source geomatics guidelines, it outlines expectations for data management, digital terrain models and imagery, map layouts, flood map types, and data ownership considerations, while excluding detailed bathymetric data collection. |
Standard |
Community and Planning, Climate Monitoring and Data, Flooding |
2025 |
Geotechnical Site Investigations for Building Foundations in Permafrost Zones |
This standard establishes a consistent methodology for performing geotechnical site investigations to inform the design of building foundations in permafrost zones. It includes consideration, within a risk management framework, of various factors such as permafrost characteristics, seasonal and interannual climate conditions, and projected climate conditions over the service life of the building foundations. |
Standard |
Buildings and Housing, Permafrost Thaw |
2025 |
Getting Nature into Financial Reporting: Natural Asset Disclosures for Local Governments |
This report provides guidance to help Canadian local governments make consistent natural asset disclosures, building on existing relevant international and national guidance and standards. Recognizing the complexity of this effort, it provides an approach to help staff identify what disclosures they can make now, and how they can make incremental improvements towards more complete natural asset disclosures over time. |
Report |
Natural Infrastructure |
2025 |
These guidelines provide fifteen principles developed by the Global Resiliency Dialogue to help inform the development of building codes and standards to incorporate climate resilience and respond to rapidly changing weather and extreme events such as flooding, storms, cyclones/hurricanes, wildfires/bushfires and heatwaves. |
Guidance |
Buildings and Housing |
2022 |
|
This guide informs the flood-resistant design of buildings, including calculating flood loads and choosing an appropriate flood design. The recommended methods, formulas, and approaches provided are best practices and those most easily applied by practitioners. |
Guidance |
Buildings and Housing, Flooding |
2021 |
|
This report provides guidance on the use of Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Accessibility (IDEA) in the construction and retrofit of infrastructure in the context of climate change adaptation. It aims to help end-users (asset owners and governments) navigate decision-making and risk management in infrastructure projects based on the services provided, users and their needs, and groups most impacted by climate hazards. |
Specification |
Community and planning |
2025 |
|
This guide, published by the Transportation Association of Canada, is a compilation of principles and scientific methods for the location, layout and design of bridges, and is intended for civil engineers and other professionals responsible for bridge design, construction and maintenance. This edition includes critical updates related to climate change impacts, extreme weather events, coastal considerations, permafrost, and several environmental and regulatory aspects of bridge design, which were informed by HICC-funded technical advice. |
Guidance |
Roads and bridges, Wind, Permafrost Thaw, Flooding |
2025 |
|
Guideline on Basement Flood Protection and Risk Reduction |
This guideline assists builders and homeowners in the mitigation of basement flood risk for new and existing residential buildings. It covers all types of ground-related houses, with or without basements, that are considered Part 9 buildings according to the National Building Code. Flood risks addressed include overland flooding associated with precipitation events, storm and sanitary backups, groundwater seepage, plumbing/drainage failures, and flooding associated with improper installation of basement flood-risk technologies. |
Standard |
Buildings and Housing, Flooding |
2023 |
Guidelines for Improving Flood-Resistance for Existing Buildings |
These guidelines intend to assist in identifying the risk of flooding to individual buildings and to evaluate potential mitigation techniques. They cover common foundation types (basement, crawlspace, slab on grade, piling, elevated on fill, and post/column), and provide support for identifying the most effective flood-resistant techniques for implementation. The document also provides information about flood risk vulnerability assessment, flood load determination, mitigation costing, flood-resistant materials, and the use of temporary and permanent flood barriers. |
Guidance |
Buildings and Housing, Flooding |
2021 |
These guidelines support the assessment of the value of storm drainage and flood control infrastructure including grey, green and hybrid systems. The guidance informs the assessment of infrastructure investment options, including considerations of uncertainties associated with a changing climate. |
Guidance |
Stormwater, Wastewater, Natural Infrastructure, Flooding |
2021 |
|
Health Care Facility Design Studies and Post-Occupancy Evaluation |
This standard provides requirements and guidance for a consistent approach on how to plan and conduct a study to evaluate different HCF design features while ensuring the resources required and level of rigour match the undertaking. It includes a new annex on climate change resilience and low-carbon resiliency and new definitions for climate change, climate resiliency, energy performance, energy management, environmental sustainability, low-carbon resiliency, and net-zero emissions or net-zero carbon. |
Standard |
Healthcare and Educational Facilities |
2025 |
High Exposure Fenestration Installation |
This standard sets forth characteristics of effective and durable installation methods, for new and existing buildings, of fenestration products within the scope of AAMA/WDMA/CSA 101/I.S.2/A440. Annex H provides information on climate change and its potential effects on fenestration in buildings, and provides guidance for climate change resilience in fenestration products and their installation. |
Standard |
Buildings and Housing |
2020 |
High-Wind Design of New Woodframe Houses Has an Average Benefit-Cost Ratio of 6:1 in Canada |
This report evaluates the cost-benefit ratio of key vertical load path enhancements to resist wind uplift prescribed in CSA S520:22 that exceed the requirements of the 2020 National Building Code. It employs a probabilistic, performance-based analytical method applied to a test case to quantify avoided losses. |
Report |
Buildings and Housing, Wind |
2023 |
This software examines 34 common building materials in Canada under current and projected future climates, assessing 5 key hygrothermal properties essential for modeling. The materials are categorized into insulation types, wood, masonry, and finishes. Properties include thermal conductivity, moisture storage, water absorption, vapor permeability, and air permeability. |
Tool |
Buildings and Housing |
2021 |
|
Management Standard for Stormwater Systems |
This standard provides requirements and recommendations for the management of stormwater systems. It defines a risk-based process for decision-makers responsible for the operation, maintenance, and management of stormwater systems. |
Standard |
Flooding, Stormwater |
2021 |
Managing Changing Snow Load Risks for Buildings in Canada's North |
This standard provides measures for safe roof snow removal from existing buildings and the protection of building occupants and assets from overloading risks due to increasing accumulations and weights. Procedures that can reduce risks for roof and building collapses are outlined, including monitoring heavy snow and ice accumulations, safe removal of snow on roofs when needed, maintenance and snow removal planning. |
Standard |
Buildings and Housing, Snow |
2021 |
Managing Rising Risks: Climate Resilient Shorelines for Canada |
This report outlines how regional shoreline management can help communities plan and adapt more effectively across entire coastal and freshwater systems. It presents nine steps in a risk management process to guide the integration of nature-based solutions, coordinated planning, and consistent policy frameworks that protect people, property, and ecosystems while preserving the natural character of Canada's shorelines. |
Report |
Community and Planning, Natural Infrastructure, Other Asset, Flooding, Erosion, Other Hazard |
2025 |
Mitigation of the Risks of Inflow and Infiltration in New Sanitary Sewer Systems |
This standard provides recommendations and requirements to limit inflow and infiltration in new sanitary sewer systems. It covers planning, design, construction, inspection and approval of new public and private sanitary sewer networks, and includes information about reducing life-cycle costs, preserving system capacity, and increasing the lifespan of the infrastructure. |
Standard |
Wastewater, Stormwater, Flooding |
2023 |
Moderating the Effects of Permafrost Degradation on Existing Building Foundations |
This standard covers strategies to maintain permafrost or mitigate permafrost degradation related to existing buildings or structures. It covers site techniques and foundation techniques relevant to foundation types typically constructed in permafrost terrain, and allows for site abandonment or structure demolition in response to permafrost degradation. |
Standard |
Buildings and Housing, Permafrost Thaw |
2021 |
This database outlines adaptation measures for existing buildings and new constructions in Canada, addressing risks from floods, extreme precipitation, heat, wildfire, wind, and snow/ice. Each measure is categorized by adaptation objective, hazard impact, and type (physical or action-oriented). Ratings indicate relative cost, time and effort, required expertise, invasiveness, compatibility with other measures, and potential benefits for energy efficiency and greenhouse gas reduction. |
Website |
Buildings and Housing, Flooding, Extreme Heat, Wildfire, Snow, Other Hazard |
2024 |
|
This guide provides guidance on how to break the wildland-urban interface (WUI) fire disaster sequence at various points by reducing the wildfire threat posed by the surrounding environment and by enhancing the fire protection provided by structures. The guide includes identifying wildland fire hazards and exposure, measures to mitigate fire risk in the structure ignition zone, community planning and resources, and emergency planning and outreach. |
Guidance |
Buildings and Housing, Community and Planning, Wildfire |
2021 |
|
Nature-Based Infrastructure for Coastal Flood and Erosion Risk Management: A Canadian Design Guide |
This guide provides evidence-based guidance for practitioners on approaches, methods, and techniques for selecting, designing, deploying, preserving, and adaptively managing nature-based infrastructure to manage coastal flood and erosion risk in Canada. It builds on existing international guidance to provide insights and lessons learned from Canadian projects and contexts. The guide may also prove useful to communities, decision makers, policy makers, or non-technical users. |
Guidance |
Natural Infrastructure, Erosion, Flooding, Communities and Planning |
2024 |
On Floods Caused by River Ice: An Overview of Mitigation Measures |
This report provides an overview of how river ice contributes to flooding, summarizes current protective measures and offers an initial assessment of climate change impacts on ice-related flooding. The report examines the causes and mitigation of river flooding in cold regions where ice slows flow and forms jams, reviews both structural and non-structural risk reduction measures, and outlines methods for assessing site resilience in both the short and long term, including under climate change. |
Guidance |
Flooding, Other Hazard |
2025 |
Operation and Maintenance of Health Care Facilities |
This standard sets out a framework for coordinated operation and management programs (COMP) to help healthcare facility owners, management, and staff increase the safety, reliability, and overall cost-effectiveness of their facility. The 2025 edition of the standard brings new requirements highlighting best practices for sustainability, resilience, energy conservation, decarbonization, and adaptation to climate risks. |
Standard |
Healthcare and Educational Facilities |
2025 |
Pedestrian, Cycling, and Multiuse Bridge Design Guideline |
This guideline supports the design of pedestrian, cycling and multi-use bridges. It incorporates considerations of sustainability and climate resilience, and includes design based on future climatic design data. |
Standard |
Roads and bridges |
2023 |
Performance Graded Asphalt Cement Under a Changing Climate (PGAC3) |
This tool was developed to help federally-owned Canadian airports study and identify the asphalt cement's required performance grade (PG) under future projected climatic condition scenarios until the year 2100. It also allows for adjustments to a high temperature PG, or grade bumping, where needed under heavy or slow moving aircrafts. |
Tool |
Roads and bridges |
2022 |
Performance Requirements for Climate Resilience of Low Slope Membrane Roofing Systems |
This standard outlines requirements for low slope membrane roofing systems (LSMRS) when identified as “silver” and “gold” performance level based on the climate severity and resilience requirements. The National Building Code of Canada and the National Energy Code of Canada for Buildings provide “bronze” requirements for LSMRS. The standard is intended for building designers, building owners, building code officials, product manufacturers, and installers. |
Standard |
Buildings and Housing, Wind |
2021 |
Planning, Design, Operation and Maintenance of Wastewater Treatment in Northern Communities Using Lagoon and Wetland Systems |
This standard focuses on the planning, design, operation, and maintenance of intermittent/seasonal discharge lagoon and wetland systems designed for northern regions (above the 54th parallel), where effluent discharge is challenging during colder months. It applies to communities facing similar challenges due to extreme climatic conditions and remoteness. However, the standard does not cover mechanical aeration of lagoon systems, natural lakes, and exfiltration lagoons. |
Standard |
Wastewater, Permafrost Thaw |
2024 |
This guide establishes a foundation for developing recommendations on drainage systems, sump pumps, backwater protection, and private-side sewer connections to prevent basement flooding in residential buildings under the National Building Code of Canada Part 9. It intends to work alongside CSA Z800-18 to enhance basement flood protection measures for both new and existing structures. |
Guidance |
Buildings and Housing, Flooding |
2021 |
|
Prioritization of Flood Risk in Existing Communities |
This standard supports resource allocation decisions regarding flood risk-reduction at the community level for existing communities. The principles consider flood mechanisms and the interdependency between flood mechanisms in establishing flood risks, the consideration of flood-exacerbating factors such as climate change (future frequency and severity of precipitation), urban intensification, and changes in upstream land uses that affect long-term resilience. |
Standard |
Community and Planning, Flooding |
2021 |
Protocols for Sharing Automated Hydrometeorological Monitoring Stations Data and Metadata |
This standard provides requirements and recommendations for the sharing of data collected at hydrometeorological monitoring stations, and considers the use of equipment and software. The Standard includes consideration of the maturity of related networks; existing or planned data sharing policies and agreements; reporting formats; geospatial and temporal referencing; data validation; data transparency; data transfer and interchange; flagging of data; and intellectual property of shared data. |
Standard |
Climate Monitoring and Data |
2023 |
This report outlines the range of practical measures that are used to protect coastal communities on Canada's East and West coasts from flooding and erosion. Coastal protection measures included span grey infrastructure (hard, engineered coastal protection measures) and nature-based solutions (measures that depend on, or mimic, natural systems to manage flood and erosion risk). |
Report |
Community and Planning, Natural Infrastructure, Flooding, Erosion |
2021 |
|
Risk-Based Approach for Community Planning in Northern Regions - Requirements and Guidance |
This standard specifies the minimum requirements applicable to the planning, preparation and the approval of potential construction maps, which will support community planning decision in Northern Regions. These potential construction maps will provide an additional tool to support, in a risk management framework, the siting, and design of expansions to communities, in particular in cases where new subdivisions are required to accommodate community growth. |
Standard |
Community and Planning, Permafrost Thaw |
2023 |
Site Preparation, Foundation, and Installation of Buildings |
This standard sets requirements for the site preparation, foundation, and installation of buildings in Canada and also includes requirements to adapt to climate change—covering climate data sources, flood protection, deterioration resistance, and a new annex on environmental design data. The standard applies to buildings installed on surface foundations (including prefabricated buildings) and is intended for builders, designers, regulators, and installers. |
Standard |
Buildings and Housing, Flooding, Wind |
2024 |
Solid Waste Sites in Northern Communities: From Planning to Post-Closure |
This standard provides recommendations for sustainable Northern solid waste facility design, operation and management. It covers all phases of the asset life cycle and the assessment of current risks with respect to service life extension given geographic, climatic, transportation and resource challenges in the North. |
Standard |
Solid Waste, Permafrost Thaw |
2021 |
Special Requirements for Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) Systems in Health Care Facilities |
This standard outlines requirements for heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems in health care facilities. It covers efficient planning, design, construction, and maintenance to reduce risk of infectious transmission and maintain occupant safety and comfort under extreme weather events attributable to climate change. |
Standard |
Buildings and Housing, Healthcare and Educational Facilities |
2024 |
This technical guide outlines best practices through illustrated booklets for building solutions in house construction in northern and remote regions (i.e. the Arctic and subarctic First Nations and Inuit Nunangat regions). Fourteen overview booklets cover the challenges within sub-regions, and eleven technical booklets cover the house design and construction processes. The scoping phase of this project was informed by HICC-funded technical advice. |
Guidance |
Buildings and Housing, Snow |
2022 |
|
Technical Guide: Design and Construction Considerations for Foundations in Permafrost Regions |
This guideline provides detailed technical information related to the design and construction of foundations in permafrost regions, including the attributes of foundation systems, selection criteria, ground conditions, and related issues. It is intended to help developers, designers, the general public, and other stakeholders to understand the permafrost terrain of Canada, as well as the general selection process and choices for permafrost foundations and their limitations. This Guide is a companion document to CSA PLUS 4011:19. |
Specification |
Buildings and Housing, Permafrost Thaw, Energy Infrastructure |
2019 |
Technical Guide: Development, Interpretation and Use of Rainfall Intensity-Duration-Frequency (IDF) Information: Guideline for Canadian Water Resources Practitioners |
This guide supports professionals working with stormwater, drainage, wastewater, and flood management systems. It provides insights into using rainfall intensity-duration-frequency (IDF) data for water system planning and includes the latest scientific understanding of climate change and its integration into IDF information. |
Specification |
Wastewater, Stormwater, Data, Flooding |
2019 |
Technical Guide: Infrastructure in Permafrost: A Guideline for Climate Change Adaptation |
This technical guide provides updated climate change projections recommended for use in northern Canada, including trends in climate (temperature and precipitation), up-to-date ground temperature trends in permafrost regions, and permafrost conditions critical for infrastructure foundations. |
Guidance |
Buildings and Housing, Permafrost Thaw, Energy Infrastructure |
2019 |
Techniques for Considering High Winds and Snow Drifting and their Impact on Northern Infrastructure |
This standard addresses risks to northern infrastructure due to wind, snow, and snow drifting. It incorporates future climate-informed content about weather and climate data, reducing the risk of damage to the built environment, climate adaptation strategies, improving function and accessibility, and design construction techniques. |
Standard |
Buildings and Housing, Snow, Wind |
2020 |
Temporary Flood Barriers — A Selection Guide for Flood Mitigation Practitioners |
This standard provides Canadian flood emergency response personnel with a comprehensive approach to selecting, deploying, and maintaining the appropriate type of emergency flood barrier. It aims to enhance the efficiency of flood emergency response in communities located in regions across Canada where limited technical expertise is available. |
Standard |
Flooding, Disaster Resilience |
2026 |
Temporary Flood Protection Barrier Performance Testing for Canadian Climates |
This standard sets out terminology, testing requirements, environmental categories, and performance criteria for temporary flood protection barriers in Canada. It provides technology developers and testing labs with consistent hydraulic testing conditions to ensure barriers are suitable for deployment across different Canadian environments. |
Standard |
Disaster Resilience, Flooding |
2025 |
Thermosyphon Foundations for Buildings in Permafrost Regions |
This standard provides requirements for all life cycle phases of thermosyphon foundations for new buildings on permafrost. It includes provisions for site characterization, design, installation, commissioning, monitoring and maintenance. It is meant to ensure the long-term performance of thermosyphon-supported foundation systems under changing environmental conditions. |
Standard |
Buildings and Housing, Permafrost Thaw |
2021 |
Underground systems |
This standard, which forms part of the Canadian Electrical Code, Part III, covers the requirements for construction of underground systems and includes electric supply and communication circuits that are installed alone, in joint use, or in proximity to each other or other facilities. It includes requirements to adapt to climate change, such as flooding and ground movement, which were informed by HICC-funded technical advice. |
Standard |
Flooding, Energy Infrastructure |
2020 |
Fenestration energy performance/User Guide to CSA A440.2:22, Fenestration Energy Performance |
This guide helps users determine energy performance properties for a variety of fenestration systems and includes the following energy performance properties, applicable to all building types (residential, commercial, and other): overall coefficient of heat transfer (U-factor), solar heat gain coefficient (SHGC) and visible transmittance (VT). Annex B provides some information on how climate change can affect fenestration product design and application. |
Standard |
Buildings and Housing |
2022 |
Water Distribution and Wastewater Collection Systems in Northern Regions |
This technical specification covers the planning, design, construction, rehabilitation/replacement, and operation and maintenance of Northern water distribution and wastewater collection systems with special considerations for isolated communities. It should be complementary to existing water and wastewater codes, regulatory requirements, by-laws, and best management practices and guidelines. |
Specification |
Potable Water, Wastewater |
2025 |
Water Distribution Systems: Climate Change Risks and Opportunities |
This report provides an overview of the anticipated impacts of climate change on water distribution systems in Canada. It focuses on temperature and precipitation changes on water consumption and the ensuing implications for hydraulic capacity, the impacts of temperature and precipitation changes on energy consumption in water distribution system operation, the impacts of changes in temperature, precipitation and freeze/thaw cycles on water main breaks, and the impacts of temperature changes on water quality through tracking of chlorine residuals. |
Report |
Potable Water |
2022 |
Window, Door and Skylight Installation |
This standard sets forth methods for both new and replacement installation of factory assembled windows, exterior doors, and skylights intended for installation in low-rise buildings and buildings used primarily for residential occupancy. Annex H provides information on the impacts of climate change on fenestration product design and application. |
Standard |
Buildings and Housing, Flooding |
2024 |
Workshop Agreement on Nature-based Solutions (NbS) for Water Management |
This report outlines recommended guidance on the use of nature-based solutions for water management in Canada with evidence including case studies and technical resources to support increasing uptake, mitigating risk, and opportunities and challenges for implementation. |
Report |
Natural Infrastructure, Stormwater |
2025 |
This report outlines findings from a workshop convened around the design of low-carbon, climate-resilient health care facilities (HCF) as part of the development of the new editions of the CSA Z8000 series. Its offers information about including best practices for conducting climate assessments, key elements of the planning and design process to develop low-carbon and resilient HCF, and commonly used climate risk mitigation/adaptation strategies for both new and existing HCF in Canada. |
Report |
Buildings and Housing, Healthcare and Educational Facilities |
2024 |
|
Workshop Report: Northern, Small and Remote Health Care Facilities (HCFs) Design |
This report outlines findings from a workshop convened to support the Technical Subcommittee responsible for development of CSA Z8000 in their review of how climate change is impacting the north in permafrost zones. The goal is to acknowledge how northern realities may differ from the south so that this information can be considered across the standard, whether through design values, normative elements, or informative elements. |
Report |
Buildings and Housing, Healthcare and Educational Facilities, Permafrost Thaw |
2024 |
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