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Climate change is reshaping Canada's coastlines. Rising sea levels, stronger storms, and shifting shorelines are putting pressure on infrastructure communities rely on, from ports and breakwaters to roads and public assets near the water. In response, Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) sought a modern tool to help model and predict current and future impacts on shorelines and related infrastructure.
Through Innovative Solutions Canada (ISC), a contract was awarded to CBCL Limited, a Canadian multidisciplinary engineering and environmental consulting firm, with support from DHI Water & Environment. Together, they developed the Canadian Coastal Zone Information System, a decision-support platform that brings key coastal data into one accessible place.
A challenge built for complex coastlines
Coastal engineering is rarely simple. Azharul Hoque, Manager of Civil Engineering for PSPC's Atlantic Region office, works directly in coastal and marine environments and supports other federal departments working in these settings. In his view, sound coastal analysis and design requires many interacting factors:
"when analyzing and designing these, we must consider tides, sea level rise, currents, winds, waves, ice characteristics, storm intensity and frequency, erosion, flooding, and climate change effects."
PSPC also faced a practical barrier: critical information was scattered across online sources and offline repositories. The department needed a system that could consolidate data into an easy-to-use tool to support sustainable, cost-effective adaptation decisions.
Building a decision-support tool for coastal experts
CBCL designed the platform for the people who use this information every day, including coastal planners, coastal engineers, and coastal adaptation specialists. Amaury Camarena, Manager of CBCL Limited's Coastal sector, explains that ISC support helped the team deliver on PSPC's needs while building a platform with longer-term value:
"The funding opportunity allowed CBCL to allocate the time and resources required to address PSPC's criteria and requirements while incorporating the broader perspective."
To improve the quality and resolution of available information, CBCL developed numerical models to estimate near-shore wave conditions and integrated Canada-wide coastal datasets into a web-accessible platform.
A platform with lasting value
The project required careful scoping and early brainstorming, and CBCL describes the collaboration with PSPC as positive. The platform can be updated to support real-time construction and design needs, helping experts better plan for and respond to climate impacts in coastal zones.
For CBCL, the work also created a path beyond a single contract. Once fully developed, CBCL will own the rights to the platform, supporting both a public-sector need and Canadian private-sector growth. Camarena notes the business impacts, including new partnerships and a route to market:
"The program triggered the development of a new business model for disseminating coastal information. Furthermore, we were able to further our relationships with key organizations like Environment and Climate Change Canada, the Department of Fisheries and Oceans and partners in the Unites States."
He adds that the foundation built through ISC is already accelerating new work:
"Now that we have created a solid framework, we are able to develop projects for provincial governments more quickly. Thanks to the ISC program and the associated project structure, we were also able to employ several additional staff."
CBCL is looking to expand the Canadian Coastal Zone Information System and support broader use across Canada.