Institute for Catastrophic Loss Reduction
20 Richmond Street East, Suite 210
Toronto, Ontario M5C 2R9
www.iclr.org

OutlineThe Institute for Catastrophic Loss Reduction (ICLR) is a world-class centre for multi-disciplinary
disaster prevention research and communications. ICLR was established by Canada’s property
and casualty insurance industry as an independent, not-for-profit research institute affiliated with
Western University. Institute staff and research associates are international leaders in wind andseismic engineering, atmospheric science, risk perception, hydrology, economics, geography,
health sciences, public policy and a number of other disciplines.
ICLR provides comprehensive disaster loss prevention advice to local governments, homeowners,and insurance companies. Actions have been identified to help homeowners and owners of small
business reduce the risk of injury, damage, and interruption of business due to severe wind, hail,earthquakes, flood, wildfire and a number of other hazards. The Institute is also working to promote
the construction of disaster resilient homes. ICLR is internationally recognized for its leadership in
multi-disciplinary disaster prevention research.
ICLR provides support to dozens of academic researchers who are working to identify bestpractices. Quality research provides the foundation for better public policy and disastermanagement. ICLR’s research findings are used to help consumers and owners of small
businesses better understand the hazards they face, and to identify simple steps they can take tobetter protect their families, homes and businesses.
ICLR is committed to reducing disaster deaths, injuries and property damage through thedevelopment of disaster prevention knowledge, and the broad dissemination of its researchfindings. Moreover, the Institute is working to transfer this emerging scientific knowledge into
information available to decision makers to support actions to build resilient communities. This
research deals with damage from wind, snow, ice, earthquakes and a range of other hazards.
Nature’s extreme events can be relentless and unforgiving, but need not result in disasters.
Hazards demand that individuals prepare, and that communities and businesses invest inresilience and continuity measures. Knowledgeable individuals and resilient communities are thebest way to prevent hazards from becoming disasters. ICLR works to enhance the disaster
resilience of homes, communities and businesses across Canada.

Research Achievements and Challenges
The Institute’s four research and communications priorities:
 Identify and share best practices to reduce the loss and damage from urban flooding Promote the construction of new homes resilient to damage from storms and earthquakes
 Inform homeowners of actions to enhance the resilience of existing homes
 Support the insurance industry’s management of natural hazards
In 2014 ICLR published 20 case studies on cities adapting to extreme rainfall. We supported
development of a tool to adjust intensity, duration and frequency information to account for climatechange to help local government manage their storm and waste water infrastructure.
The Institute submitted 5 recommendations for adjusting the Canadian building code to enhance
resilience to extreme rainfall and severe winds.
ICLR partnered with a number of stakeholders to share information about actions property owners
can take to enhance their resilience to damage from flood, wind, earthquake, wildfire and otherhazards. The includes brochures and videos.
The Institute is actively working with the insurance industry to provide information and analysis ofnatural hazards. This information is used to support development of new products and refinementof existing coverage. Thousands of insurance staff participate in workshops, follow newsletters andparticipate in directing the Institute’s research program.

Suggestions for the Disaster Research Roadmap
It would be valuable if hazard research institutes could share information about recently completedstudies, and planned research. This would enhance the quality of our work, reduce duplication ofeffort, and identify the potent for collaboration.
Research to support understanding about large, complex events appears to be particularly
important. Society appears to be coping with frequent, smaller hazards, but large events can havea catastrophic impact. We must do better to anticipate and mage these catastrophic risks.
Research concerning decision-making and implementation is important. Many risk reduction
practices are known but not implemented. Why?