With the projected changes to our climate, it is more important than ever to consider the role green infrastructure can have on our communities. Green infrastructure in Ontario’s Greenbelt, particularly its forests, wetlands and grasslands provide essential infrastructure services for all Ontarians. They protect our fresh-water sources, and provide storage and purification of our drinking water; they mitigate flood risks, keeping our properties safe; and offset urban heat-island effect, keeping our cities cool during high temperature days.

Green infrastructure plays a critical role in mitigating the risks posed by extreme weather events and provides a range of economic, environmental, individual and social benefits.

In partnership with Jenny Hill, Assistant Dean, Academic Planning and Governance at the University of Toronto, and with contributions from The Regional Municipality of York, we're exploring the positive impacts natural infrastructure can have on a changing climate. In this educational resource, we analyze the economic return of climate-resilient infrastructure, highlight unexpected forms of water management, and provide you with simple ways you can take action and support natural infrastructure at the individual, community and municipal levels. 

Read the full report and fact sheet below:

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This report is one instalment of the Greenbelt's In a Changing Climate series. For this ongoing project, the Foundation continues to partner with experts to better understand how climate change is affecting many aspects of our lives, and ways that we can individually and collectively respond to these challenges. Click here to explore other reports and expert interviews in this series.