Climate disasters are on the rise, with devastating effects on communities around the globe. Scientists have provided evidence that severe weather events due to climate change will continue to increase in frequency and severity. Extreme weather events are often referred to as the great equalizers, disregarding the socioeconomic status and race of those affected during widespread destruction. However, the literature suggests that people of color are disproportionately exposed to and affected by climate change and extreme weather events. In this study, I examine how exposure to extreme weather events will influence climate change policy support amongst different races. I argue that people of color will support climate change policy more than white people. I run regression models using data from Collaborative Multiracial Post-Election Survey and National Centers for Environmental Information. I do not find support for my hypothesis, but I do find that among the Black population, climate change policy support increases as respondents get older.

Canada is one of the wealthiest and most technologically advanced countries in the world. Yet, it fails to maintain an effective and comprehensive system for responding to weather-related hazards. The adverse socio-economic impacts of extreme weather are sufficiently serious to make climate change a threat to humanity. Weather events have lingering effects on peoples’ financial stability, particularly in low-income households. The goal of this thesis is to illuminate the nature of the legal, economic and social challenges posed by extreme weather. Thus, I present a comprehensive study of the Canadian institutional responses to these disasters. / Graduate

In Canada, construction companies are facing disruptions to their operations due to bad or extreme weather conditions such as thunderstorms, heavy precipitation, flooding, heatwaves and snowstorms, which cause project delays, loss of productivity and increased financial costs. This sector is prone to more disruptions due to increase in the frequency, duration and intensity of extreme weather events due to future climate change. This study examined the impacts of extreme weather events on infrastructure development companies and investigated their current practices and actions to alleviate these impacts. A survey questionnaire was developed and administrated to owners, managers, engineers, supervisors and planners of construction companies. Apart from descriptive evaluations, the survey responses were quantitatively analyzed to determine the impact of bad weather conditions on the construction companies. The findings of this study suggested that most construction companies’ operations were delayed due to bad or extreme weather events. However, construction industry is not adopting proactive measures to avoid or minimize these impacts. The main environmental factors impacting construction companies, included flooding, high winds or thunderstorms, warm/cold temperatures, heatwaves and snow/ice storms. These bad weather impacts were more significant for non-government construction companies as compared to those working in the government sector. Indirect impacts of bad weather included disruptions to their supply chain networks and changes in customer behaviors; however, these impacts were minor compared to direct environmental impacts. The study found that both government and non-government sector construction companies granted accommodations to the workers during bad weather conditions; however, government sector companies were more accommodating as compared to non-government companies. The study results also provided insight into the financial impacts of extreme weather events on construction companies. Weighted average losses for government sector companies were $2,200 per day of bad weather as compared to $8,155 per day for non-government companies. This suggested that non-government construction companies may experience serious financial consequences due to bad or extreme weather events. Study results further showed that there were no adequate guidelines, protocols or standards available to construction companies to adapt their operations and planning for extreme weather events. The study also highlighted the lack of adequate insurance products available for the construction sector to deal with bad weather. There was little tendency shown by the construction companies to use new technologies to deal with bad weather conditions. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop guidelines, protocols or standards for construction companies by involving all levels of the government and relevant private sector organizations. This study helps to determine the nature and scale of extreme weather impacts on construction industry and explores what strategies may be developed to alleviate these impacts and risks. Such knowledge will help companies better plan and manage their operations and effectively use their human resources. It will help in timely delivery of services and savings in costs by the infrastructure development companies, which are a major contributor to the Canadian economy. / Thesis / Master of Science (MSc)

XTREND consists of the following methodical Parts. Time interval extraction (Part 1) to analyse different parts of a time series; extreme events detection (Part 2) with robust smoothing; magnitude classification (Part 3) by hand; occurrence rate estimation (Part 4) with kernel functions; bootstrap simulations (Part 5) to estimate confidence bands around the occurrence rate. You work interactively with XTREND (parameter adjustment, calculation, graphics) to acquire more intuition for your data. Although, using “normal” data sizes (less than, say, 1000) and modern machines, the computing time seems to be acceptable (less than a few minutes), parameter adjustment should be done carefully to avoid spurious results or, on the other hand, too long computing times. This Report helps you to achieve that. Although it explains the statistical concepts used, this is generally done with less detail, and you should consult the given references (which include some textbooks) for a deeper understanding.

Agricultural adaptation to climate change is notoriously context specific. Recently updated projections for the Northeastern US forecast increasingly severe and erratic precipitation events which pose significant risks to every sector of agricultural production in the region. Vegetable and berry farmers are among the most vulnerable to the risks of severe precipitation and drought due to the intensive soil and crop management strategies which characterize of this kind of production. To successfully adapt to a changing climate, these farmers need information which is tailored for the unique challenges of vegetable and berry production, framed at the level of climate impacts, and delivered through the familiar lexicon used by farmers in the region. My approach is grounded by partnerships with farmer networks to inform both the relevance of this information and my outreach strategy for sharing results. This research presents complimentary quantitative and qualitative data sets on adaptive management, and highlights the insight of farmers voices on innovative and promising solutions for managing climate related risks. The goal of the project was to create usable information for producers through a Farmer First approach which privileges the voices and experiences of farmers in determining the information and resources they need. As part of a broader project, this thesis analyzed the results of a regional survey of vegetable and berry growers conducted over the winter months of 2017-2018. The first chapter reviews theoretical foundations for academic study of agricultural management and climate change, with a focus on information usability. The second chapter applies theories of adaptation and resilience to identify agroecological principles for adapting farm management to water extremes and innovative practices emerging in the region. The third chapter uses a regression modelling approach to explore how adaptive management practices vary across site specific characteristics. Our analysis identifies trends and principles for adapting to water excess and water deficits on diversified vegetable and berry farms in the Northeast. The research findings highlight how site characteristics influence the selection of adaptive management practices on farms in the Northeast.

This study attempts to determine whether there is a relationship between extreme weather events and crime rates. Due to the increasing effects of climate change, it is critical we understand the societal effects of extreme weather. Here, a panel data fixed effects regression was used to analyze state and year level data. It was hypothesized that there would be a relationship between crime and extreme events, but the results did not show a statistically significant relationship. Further research with increased geographic and temporal controls is encouraged.

This thesis explores the post-war history of the British Meteorological Office (MO), which saw the development of public weather services and a more prominent profile for the organisation in British public life. Situated within a post-war growth in the scientific civil service and the government’s use of science in policy making, the emergence of MO extreme weather warnings and forecasts afforded the organisation an authoritative expert position. Part of meteorology’s twentieth century professionalisation, the services developed through the application of advances in meteorological practice and technologies, significantly altered the organisation’s public profile and status as a scientific expert body.By considering these developments the thesis illuminates how, as the MO increasingly presented forecasts and warnings to all sectors of British society, they became managers of the risks posed by extreme weather. Through exploring these historical developments at the MO, we see a broader narrative emerge on how the communication of risk by scientific experts interacts with public expectations and manifestations of blame. Central to the narrative presented is the role of extreme weather events themselves in affecting response, policy developments, new MO warning services, and the manifestation of blame.

Le Grand-Tunis présente une vulnérabilité face à la pollution atmosphérique compte tenu des fortes densités de population et des nombreuses infrastructures caractérisant son territoire. L’ozone (O3) et les particules en suspension (PM10) dépassent fréquemment les normes tunisiennes relatives à ces polluants. Quant aux normes internationales fixées par l’OMS (Organisation Mondiale de la Santé), elles n’ont été respectées que rarement. L’appareil respiratoire constitue une voie d’exposition privilégiée aux agressions en rapport avec l’environnement. De nombreuses pathologies pulmonaires sont directement liées à l’inhalation des polluants dans l’atmosphère. Les influences des mécanismes climatiques sur la santé respiratoire sont très étendues également, notamment les épisodes météorologiques extrêmes appelés aussi paroxysmes météorologiques.L’objectif principal de cette thèse est de caractériser l’impact des facteurs environnementaux, climat et polluants atmosphériques sur la santé respiratoire dans le Grand-Tunis. Nous avons choisi de quantifier cette relation à partir des indicateurs biométéorologiques et des seuils absolus de stress météorologique, spécifiques au climat tunisois, et de la qualité de l’air pour prévoir des épisodes à risque pour la santé respiratoire. Cela est fait à partir des extrêmes météorologiques des paramètres les plus irritants pour la santé respiratoire : la température, l’humidité relative de l’air et la vitesse maximale du vent. Nous avons aussi établi des normes réalistes pour la qualité de l’air, relatives à l’O3 et aux PM10, identifiant les seuils critiques de surplus des hospitalisations dans le Grand-Tunis et qui peuvent être appliquées dans tout le pays. Compte tenu de l’effet de certains paramètres climatiques sur la dispersion des polluants dans l’atmosphère, nous avons aussi étudié la relation entre les paramètres météorologiques et les polluants d’O3 et de PM10. Les résultats de cette étude révèlent que, durant toute l’année, les tunisois sont confrontés au moins à un risque environnemental : la pollution photochimique et les vagues de chaleur, très répandues durant la saison chaude ; durant la saison froide, c’est le risque du froid et de la pollution particulaire ; et pendant les intersaisons, c’est la pollution biologique, avec les pollens, qui est le risque le plus important. Toutefois, l’exposition à court terme à ces risques, sur l’aggravation de la maladie respiratoire ou l’irritation du système respiratoire sont bien réelles. Cette recherche montre que le développement et l’aggravation des maladies respiratoires semblent découler d’une interaction complexe entre divers facteurs individuels et environnementaux. Ils sont essentiellement en relation avec le temps, la qualité de l’air et l’atopie. L’importance de ces facteurs varie selon la maladie considérée. Par ailleurs, le faible niveau socioéconomique de la famille augmente la probabilité d’être exposé à plusieurs de ces facteurs de risque. À cela s’ajoutent les facteurs comportementaux tels que l’alcool, le tabagisme actif et passif. / The Greater metropolitan area of Tunis, often referred to as Grand Tunis or Tunis, presents a vulnerability to air pollution due to the high concentrations of population and the infrastructures characterizing its territory. Ozone (O3) and particles (PM10) often exceed the Tunisian thresholds for these pollutants. As for the international standards set by the WHO (world health organization), they have not been met infrequently.The respiratory tract is a preferred route of exposure to aggressions related to the environment. Many lung diseases are directly linked to inhalation of pollutants in the atmosphere. The influences of climate mechanisms on respiratory health are also very extensive, including extreme weather events, also called weather paroxysms.The main objective of this thesis was to characterize the impact of environmental factors, climate and atmospheric pollutants on respiratory health in Grand Tunis. We have chosen to quantify this relationship from the biometeorological indicators and absolute thresholds of meteorological stress, specific Tunisian climate, and air quality to predict episodes at risk for respiratory health and thresholds of weather variables and air quality resulting in excess hospital admissions for respiratory causes. And this from the climate extremes of the parameters affecting the respiratory health : temperature, relative humidity and maximum wind speed. We, too, set realistic standards for air quality, relative to O3 and PM10, identifying critical thresholds excess hospitalizations in Grand Tunis and can be applied throughout the country. Given the effect of some climatic parameters on the dispersion of pollutants in the atmosphere, we also studied the relationship between climatic parameters and pollutants of O3 and PM10. The results of this study reveal that, throughout the year, Tunisians are confronted with at least an environmental risk : photochemical pollution and heat waves, which are very responsive during the hot season ; during the cold season, it is the risk of cold and particulate pollution; and during the off-season, biological pollution, together with pollen, is more at risk. However, short-term exposure to these risks, the worsening of the respiratory illness or irritation of the respiratory system is real. This study showed that the development and worsening of respiratory diseases appear to result from a complex interplay of individual and environmental factors. They are mainly in relation to time, air quality and atopy. The importance of these factors varies the respective disease. Moreover, the low socioeconomic status of the family increases the likelihood of being exposed to more of these risk factors. Added to this are behavioral factors such as alcohol, active and passive smoking.

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / Geospatial analysis is a generic term describing several technologies or methods of computational analysis using the Earth as a living laboratory. These methods can be implemented to assess risk and study preventative mitigation practices for Public Health. Through the incorporation Geographic Information Science and Remote Sensing tools, data collection can be conducted at a larger scale, more frequent, and less expensive that traditional in situ methods. These techniques can be extrapolated to be used to study a variety of topics. Application of these tools and techniques were demonstrated through Public Health research. Although it is understand resolution, or scale, of a research project can impact a study’s results; further research is needed to understand the extent of the result’s bias. Extreme heat vulnerability analysis was studied to validate previously identified socioeconomic and environmental variables influential for mitigation studies, and how the variability of resolution impacts the results of the methodology. Heat was also investigated for the implication of spatial and temporal resolution, or aggregation, influence on results. Methods studying the physical and socioeconomic environments of Dengue Fever outbreaks were also studied to identify patters of vector emergence.

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