Interview with Professor Claude Comtois

In this interview, Professor Claude Comtois presents a research project funded by Transport Canada that assesses the resilience and vulnerability of the infrastructure, operations, and supply chains of the Port of Montreal in the face of climate change. By analyzing nearly 90 parameters of the port system cross-referenced with 31 climate variables, the study aims to guide decision-making, promote decarbonization, and strengthen the port’s adaptive capacity. While the Port of Montreal already demonstrates good resilience, the research is hampered by a lack of local historical data on the St. Lawrence River and uncertainties in regional climate models. The team is currently working to assess the severity of risks and design multi-criteria adaptation measures (technological, societal, and regulatory), while emphasizing the crucial importance of education and social acceptability among the general public. Finally, Claude Comtois recalls that future management of the St. Lawrence will require multidisciplinary approaches and experts capable of dealing with climate uncertainty as well as the rise of disruptive technologies.