Jun 25, 2026
Collaboration in Action: RBC Foundation’s community investment helps to enable climate resilience and flood protection in the Credit River Watershed
Flooding doesn’t announce itself. It arrives suddenly—in parking lots, living rooms, school hallways—and leaves behind damage that can take years to recover from. In the Greater Toronto Area alone, more than 12 extreme storm events have surpassed infrastructure capacity in just the past two decades, affecting families, businesses, and the communities we call home.
At Credit Valley Conservation (CVC) and Credit Valley Conservation Foundation (CVCF), we believe that protecting people and the places they love requires more than good intentions. It requires bold investment, innovative thinking, and partners committed to advancing climate resilience and thriving communities—values that resonate with RBC Foundation’s approach to environmental impact.
Advancing Climate Resilience Through Innovation
Over the past eight years, CVC has been developing the Risk & Return on Investment Tool (RROIT), a GIS-based model that helps municipalities identify flood-vulnerable infrastructure, estimate financial damages from storm events, and prioritize investments that help strengthen community resilience.
This work sits at the intersection of climate action, infrastructure resilience, and environmentally sustainable community planning. RROIT transforms complex climate and infrastructure data into practical planning tools that support more informed, proactive decision-making.
Through a total contribution of $340,000, RBC Foundation has helped CVC transform RROIT from a research concept into a fully operational climate risk planning tool now being shared with conservation authorities and municipalities across Ontario and beyond.
This community investment reflects RBC Foundation’s commitment to supporting community ideas that help seed, scale and sustain solutions to support the transition to a low carbon and resilient economy.
“The best climate solutions are built by people who understand their communities deeply and CVC and CVCF are exactly that kind of community partner. Their team has developed a powerful tool that helps municipalities see climate risk clearly and plan with confidence. RBC Foundation aims to help ideas like this move from concept to impact and seeing RROIT being used across Ontario and beyond is exactly the type of outcome we look to support,” said Thea Silver, Senior Director, Environmental Impact, RBC (pictured right).
From Local Innovation to Broader Climate Impact
What began as a pilot project in the Credit River Watershed is now contributing to broader discussions on climate risk planning and adaptation across Canada.
With support from key research partners, including the Climate Risk Institute (CRI) and Risk Sciences International (RSI), CVC is training conservation authorities and municipalities to apply RROIT within their own regions, supporting more informed, equitable infrastructure decisions.
More than eight conservation authorities have already expressed interest, alongside municipalities across Ontario and provincial stakeholders from multiple regions. This growing uptake reflects a shared recognition of the need for scalable, data-driven climate solutions that protect people, property, and essential infrastructure—aligning directly with RBC Foundation’s intention to support projects that advance climate change mitigation solutions.
“This marks an exciting milestone in the growth of RROIT and its potential impact across Canada,” says Dayana Gomez, Executive Director, CVCF (pictured left). “RBC Foundation’s support has helped accelerate the development of a tool that is now directly informing how communities plan for flood risk and climate uncertainty.”
“CVCF is proud to help connect philanthropic investment with innovative environmental solutions that create lasting community impact. This partnership demonstrates what can be achieved when climate adaptation, conservation, and community resilience are supported through strong collaboration and shared vision.”
Recognizing a Meaningful Partnership
At the 19th Annual Conservation Gala on November 20, 2026, RBC Foundation will be recognized with the Innovative Conservation Award, which celebrates philanthropic partners whose support advances conservation outcomes, innovative environmental solutions, and community resilience within the Credit River Watershed.
Through its investment in the Risk & Return on Investment Tool (RROIT), RBC Foundation has helped support innovative climate adaptation and flood resilience solutions with measurable environmental and community impact.
Looking Ahead: Scaling Climate Solutions
The future of this work is focused on expansion, accessibility, and shared learning. Through continued collaboration, RROIT is positioned to support broader adoption of climate risk tools across Canada, helping municipalities make more informed, proactive infrastructure decisions.
CVC is supporting the Climate Risk Institute (CRI) in leading the National Practitioner Network, which brings together conservation authorities and municipalities to implement and share climate risk planning approaches across regions. This collaborative model will help strengthen local capacity while advancing national conversations around climate adaptation and resilience.
“RBC Foundation, thank you for your support, collaboration, and trust in this initiative. Your support has helped CVC advance a practical, scalable solution that is strengthening how communities prepare for and respond to increasing climate risk,” says Dayana Gomez, Executive Director, Credit Valley Conservation Foundation.
“This work reflects what is possible when organizations come together around a shared commitment to climate resilience, innovation, and community wellbeing.”
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Since 1964, CVCF has been the charitable arm of CVC, raising funds and building partnerships to support environmental programs that protect and restore the Credit River Watershed.
To support or learn more about this work visit cvcfoundation.ca or reach out directly to Dayana Gomez at dayana.gomez@cvc.ca.
