Case Studies
We’re all becoming very familiar with the impacts of climate change on our communities. Climate change is causing weather that is more unpredictable and is having significant impacts on infrastructure, on the livability of communities, and on our physical and mental health. Municipalities are on the front lines of climate change; they are responsible for maintaining more than half of Canada’s infrastructure assets while also aiming to provide a wide range of services that support a high quality of life for their constituents. Much of our public infrastructure was designed to perform well in conditions that no longer exist, making it challenging to meet expected levels of service, and exposing residents to increasingly significant impacts of climate change.
So how can municipalities take meaningful action to become more climate resilient? Asset management is an enabler that we can leverage by applying a systems approach to meet resilience challenges through sustainable action.
This case study series introduces key municipal asset management topics through a climate change lens. These case studies are a complement to AMONTario’s online courses, providing an overview of key topics, highlighting the interconnectivity between the various topics, and showcasing the work and lessons learned of participants in our 2023 & 2024 interactive cohorts.
1. Asset Management, Climate Change, & Green Infrastructure: The Strategic Perspective
This introductory case study describes how climate change considerations, green infrastructure, and asset management go hand-in-hand to support municipalities in making decisions about their infrastructure that enable long-term climate resilience. The work of City of Waterloo, ON and St. Catharines, ON is showcased.
2. Collaboration & Cross-functional Teams
Asset management is inherently collaborative. This case study describes how collaborative, cross-functional teams facilitate in-depth understanding of all participants in your asset management system, their needs, and their expectations, allowing your organization to communicate how they will meet those needs. The work of St. Catharines, ON and Dufferin County, ON is showcased.
3. Asset Hierarchy and Attributes: Through a Climate Change Lens
This case study makes the case that asset data is the foundation for the analysis and decision-making processes that will drive your asset management system, and that robust, well-organized data is crucial to supporting your climate-related decision-making. The work of Prince Rupert, BC and West Perth, ON is showcased.
4. Developing Levels of Service: Through a Climate Change Lens
This case study explains that levels of service are a critical tool in your asset management system in understanding, defining, and communicating what sustainable service delivery looks like for your organization. The work of Nanaimo, BC is showcased.
5. Risk and Criticality: Through a Climate Change Lens
This case study explains that managing the impact of risk events is crucial to maintaining your levels of service, and provides an opportunity to highlight climate change concerns that may have significant impacts on decision-making for your asset management system. The work of Dufferin County, ON is showcased.
6. Lifecycle Management: Through a Climate Change Lens
This case study describes how lifecycle management is where you start pulling together your risk assessments and your levels of service frameworks to build a holistic picture of the needs of your entire asset network. The work of Oakville, ON and West Perth, ON is showcased.
7. Climate Change & Prioritized Decision-Making
This case study explains that prioritizing the activities and recommendations for your asset portfolio is an essential process to balance sustainable service delivery with your available resources across your whole organization, while also factoring climate change considerations. The work of the City of Waterloo, ON is showcased.
