Institute for Catastrophic Loss Reduction to host workshop on mapping extreme rainfall statistics for Canada

The Institute for Catastrophic Loss Reduction (ICLR) will host a workshop on March 11 in Toronto on the topic of mapping extreme rainfall statistics for Canada.

The workshop, part of the ICLR’s Friday Forum series, will be held from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. EST in the ICLR office at 20 Richmond Street East, Suite 210. The session will feature a presentation from Dr. Slobodan Simonovic, a professor of civil and environmental engineering at Western University in London, Ont.

Background information from the ICLR notes that climate change is expected to increase the frequency and intensity of extreme rainfall events, affecting rainfall intensity-duration-frequency (IDF) curve information used in the design, maintenance and operation of water infrastructure in Canada. Presented in this lecture will be analyses of precipitation data from 567 Environment Canada hydro-meteorological stations using a climate change tool recently created by Simonovic.

Results for the year 2100 based on the Canadian climate model and an ensemble of 22 general circulation models were generated, the information explained. A spatial interpolation method was used to produce Canadian precipitation maps for events of various return periods. Results based on the Canadian climate model indicate a reduction in extreme precipitation in central regions of Canada and increases in other regions. According to the background information, relative to the ensemble approach, the Canadian climate model results suggest more spatial variability in change of IDFs and that the ensemble approach generated generally lower values than the Canadian climate model.

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Dr. Simonovic has extensive research, teaching and consulting experience in water resources systems engineering and teaches courses in water resources and civil engineering systems. His primary research interest focuses on the application of systems approach to management of complex water and environmental systems. Most of his work is related to the integration of risk, reliability, and uncertainty in hydrology and water resources management.

Dr. Simonovic, who also actively works for national and international professional organizations, has published over 450 professional publications and three major textbooks. In June 2013, he was inducted into the Canadian Academy of Engineering.

Participants interested in the Friday Forum workshop are welcome to attend in person or join by webinar.

RSVP: Tracy Waddington

Webinar: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/274367006860347906