Areas of specialization:
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public administration
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public policy
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local government
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federalism and multilevel governance
Research
Professor Henstra is co-lead of the Climate Risk Research Group. His research focuses on the governance of complex policy areas such as climate change adaptation, emergency management and flood risk management. He has more than 20 years of experience in applied policy analysis, including contract research for Global Affairs Canada, Health Canada, Infrastructure Canada, Natural Resources Canada, Public Safety Canada and others.
Current projects
1. Policy Design for Climate-Resilient Housing
Funded through a , this project involves spatial analysis of the physical exposure of housing and property values to climate-related hazards. The team is identifying and evaluating policy instruments to increase the resilience of new and existing housing in a changing climate.
2. Effective Governance Arrangements for Climate Resilient Infrastructure
Funded through a , this project evaluates governance arrangements to achieve critical infrastructure (CI) resilience in a changing climate. It combines spatial analysis and comparative case studies to assess CI resilience in five sectors: health care, public safety, government services, finance and transportation.
3. Flood Risk Governance in a Changing Climate聽
Funded through a Network Investigator Grant from the and a SSHRC Insight Grant, this project analyzes the effectiveness of Canada鈥檚 flood risk governance arrangements. Using climate change-adjusted flood maps produced by the , the team is engaging in Risk Dialogues with stakeholders to identify flood resilience strategies.
Publications
Books
2013. (Ed). , McGill-Queen鈥檚 University Press.
Book chapters and journal articles
2025. International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction, 123(1) :1-27. [w/ Liton Chakraborty; Jennifer A. Spinney; Daniele Malomo; Jason Thistlethwaite; Kasra Motlaghzadeh; Sina M. Jahangir; Sheldon Andrews; Bora Pulatsu]
2025. Environmental Hazards, OnlineFirst. [w/ Shaieree Cottar, Jason Thistlethwaite, Brent Doberstein and Johanna Wandel]
2025. Journal of Environmental Planning and Management, OnlineFirst. [w/ Jacob Ventura, Greg Oulahen, Calvin Nguyen, Carrie L. Mitchell and Jason Thistlethwaite]
2025. Journal of Flood Risk Management, 18(1): 1-14. [w/ Gabriel Morin, Mathieu Boudreault, Jason Thistlethwaite, 聽Michael Bourdeau-Brien, Jacob Chenette and Jonathan Raikes]
2024. Regional Environmental Change, 24(102): 1-14. [w/ Andrea Minano and Jason Thistlethwaite]
2024. Journal of Planning Education and Research, 44(2): 853-863. [w/ Dave Guyadeen]
2024. Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences, 24(2): 699-714. [w/ Connor Darlington, Jonathan Raikes, Jason Thistlethwaite and Emma K. Raven]
2024. International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction, 103 (March): 1-15 [w/ Andrea Minano and Jason Thistlethwaite.
2023. Environmental Management, 72(5), 1050-1060. [w/ Jonathan Raikes and Jason Thistlethwaite]
2023. ",鈥 Environmental Hazards, 22(2): 136-151. [w/ Jonathan Raikes and Jason Thistlethwaite]
2023. 鈥,鈥 Risk Analysis, 43(5): 1058-1078. [w/ Liton Chakraborty, Andrea Minano, Jason Thistlethwaite, Daniel Scott and Horatiu Rus]
2023. 鈥,鈥 Evaluation and Program Planning, 96 (February): 1-9. [w/ Dave Guyadeen, Shivani Kaup and Grace Wright]
2023. 鈥溾 Journal of Rural Studies, 97 (January): 123-139. [w/ Dave Guyadeen]
2023. 鈥鈥Planning Practice & Research, 38(1): 123-144. [w/ Lindsey McCain and Dave Guyadeen]
2022. Canadian Journal of Program Evaluation 37 (2): 167鈥185. [w/ Dave Guyadeen and Han苍补听Holman]
2022. 鈥溾 Canadian Water Resources Journal, 47(4): 202-215. [w/ Chris Gouett-Hanna, Greg Oulahen and Jason Thistlethwaite]
2022. Journal of Urban Affairs, 44(8): 1154-1167. [w/ Tia Driver and Jason Thistlethwaite]
2022. in Routledge Handbook of Policy Tools, edited by Michael Howlett, 334-346. London: Routledge. [w/ Bronwyn McIlroy-Young and Jason Thistlethwaite]
2022. International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction, 76: 1-11. [w/ Jonathan Raikes, Timothy F. Smith and Claudia Baldwin]
2022. Climate Policy, 22(4): 534-548. [w/ Jonathan Raikes, Timothy F. Smith and Claudia Baldwin]
2022. Journal of Flood Risk Management, 15(2): 1-18. [w/ Truzaar Dordi and Jason Thistlethwaite]
2022. Environmental Research 210: 1-14. [w/ Liton Chakraborty, Horatiu Rus, Jason Thistlethwaite, Andrea Minano and Daniel Scott]
2021. International Journal of Disaster Risk Science, 12: 821-838. [w/ Liton Chakraborty, Andrea Minano, Jason Thistlethwaite and Daniel Scott]
2021. Natural Hazards, 109: 201-220. [w/ Shaieree Cottar, Brent Doberstein and Johanna Wandel]
2021. Computers, Environment and Urban Systems, 88(1): 1-14. [w/ Andrea Minano, Jason Thistlethwaite and Daniel Scott]
2021. Climate Risk Management, 32(1): 1-16. [w/ Jonathan Raikes, Timothy F. Smith and Claudia Baldwin]
2020. International Journal of Disaster Risk Science, 11(3): 263-273. [w/ Jason Thistlethwaite, Craig Brown and Daniel Scott]
2020. Local Environment, 25(2): 101-113. [w/ Jason Thistlethwaite and Truzaar Dordi]
2020. Journal of Environmental Planning and Management, 63(6): 1077-1096. [w/ Jason Thistlethwaite and Shanaya Vanhooren]
2020. International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction, 43: 1-12. [w/ Liton Chakraborty, Horatiu Rus, Jason Thistlethwaite and Daniel Scott]
2020. Environment, Development and Sustainability, 22(2): 1633-1653. [w/ Brennan Vogel and Gordon McBean].
2019. Regional Environmental Change, 19(8): 2597鈥2607. [w/ Jason Thistlethwaite, Andrea Minano and Truzaar Dordi]
2019. In Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Natural Hazard Science, edited by Djillali Benouar, Oxford University Press. [w/ Jason Thistlethwaite]
2019. Journal of Environmental Policy and Planning, 21(6): 702-717. [w/ Danny Bednar and Gordon McBean]
2019. Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences 19(1): 313-323. [w/ Andrea Minano and Jason Thistlethwaite]
2019. Climatic Change 152(1): 121-143. [w/ Dave Guyadeen and Jason Thistlethwaite]
2019. Journal of Flood Risk Management, 12(1): 1-10. [w/ Jason Thistlethwaite, Craig Brown and Daniel Scott]
2018. In Policy Analysis in Canada, edited by Laurent Dobuzinskis and Michael Howlett, 121-144. Bristol, UK: Policy Press UK.
2018. Journal of Contingencies and Crisis Management 26(3): 403-410. [w/ Jon Coaffee, Marie-Christine Therrien, Lorenzo Chelleri, Daniel P. Aldrich, Carrie L. Mitchell, Sasha Tsenkova and 脡ric Rigaud]
2018. Politics and Governance, 6(3): 147-158. [w/ Danny Bednar]
2018. Geoenvironmental Disasters, 5(8): 1-13. [w/ Jason Thistlethwaite, Andrea Minano, Jordan Blake and Daniel Scott]
2018. Canadian Public Administration 61(1): 65-90. [w/ William Towns]
2018. 鈥,鈥 Environmental Management, 61(2): 197-208. [w/ Jason Thistlethwaite, Craig Brown and Daniel Scott]
2017. Canadian Water Resources Journal 42(4): 349-363. [w/ Jason Thistlethwaite]
2017. Review of Policy Research 34(3): 378-399.
2016. Public Administration Quarterly 40(3): 412-689. [w/ Rosemary McGowan]
2016. Climate Policy 16(4): 496-521.
2016. 鈥淟ocal Government and Politics in Ontario鈥. In The Politics of Ontario, edited by Cheryl N. Collier and Jonathan Malloy, 118-134. Toronto: University of Toronto Press.
2015. Global Environmental Change 31: 110-120. [w/ Brennan Vogel]
2012. Journal of Comparative Policy Analysis 14(2): 175-194.
2011. Journal of Policy History 23(3): 399-428.
2010. Canadian Public Administration 53(2): 241-258.
2010. Public Administration Review 70(2): 236-246.
2005. Canadian Public Policy 31(3): 303-318. [w/ Gordon McBean]
2003. Canadian Public Administration 46(1): 103-116.
Policy research reports
2024. Advancing the Cyber Resilience of Canadian Critical Infrastructure. Ottawa, ON: Canadian Centre for Cyber Security, 34 pp. [w/ Jason Thistlethwaite]
2024. Keeping Flood Maps Current: Recommendations for Best Practice. Ottawa, ON: Environment and Climate Change Canada, 28 pp. [w/ Jason Thistlethwaite]
2024. Development of a Residential Flood Exposure Data Layer Leveraging the Flood Susceptibility Index (FSI). Ottawa, ON: Natural Resources Canada, 11 pp. [w/ Jason Thistlethwaite, Kasra Motlaghzadeh, Sharmalene Mendis-Millard and Mohammad Sina Jahangir]
2023. Policy Tools to Induce Cyber Resilience among Critical Infrastructure Owners and Operators. Ottawa, ON: Canadian Centre for Cyber Security, 46 pp. [w/ Jason Thistlethwaite and Sandra Biskupovic]
2022. . Ottawa, ON: Canadian Climate Institute, 22 pp.
2022. . Ottawa: International Joint Commission, 26 pp.
2021. Flood Insurance in Canada: Policy Context and Lessons from the International Community. Ottawa: Public Safety Canada, 67 pp.
2021. Ottawa: International Joint Commission, 31 pp. [w/ Bronwyn McIlroy-Young]
2021. . Ottawa: Canadian Climate Institute, 13pp. [w/ Liton Chakraborty and Jason Thistlethwaite]
2020. Canadian Voices on Flood Risk 2020: Findings from a National Survey (PDF). 蓝莓视频, ON: Partners for Action, 17 pp. [w/ Anna Ziolecki, Jason Thistlethwaite and Daniel Scott]
2020. . Zurich: The Geneva Association, 66 pp. [w/ Maryam Golnaraghi, Jason Thistlethwaite and Craig Stewart]
2020. Non-Structural Flood Mitigation Options for the Lake Champlain-Richelieu River Basin. Ottawa: International Joint Commission, 33 pp. [w/ Leonard Shabman]
2020. Flood Risk Analysis of Canadian Health and Emergency Infrastructure. Ottawa: Health Canada, 28 pp. [w/ Daniel Scott, Andrea Minano, Liton Chakraborty, Jason Thistlethwaite and Yuvna Apajee]
2017. Canadian Voices on Changing Flood Risk: Findings From a National Survey (PDF). 蓝莓视频, ON: Interdisciplinary Centre on Climate Change and Partners for Action (P4A). [w/ Jason Thistlethwaite, Shawna Peddle and Daniel Scott]
2017. . IMFG Papers on Municipal Finance and Governance. Toronto: Institute on Municipal Finance and Governance. [with Jason Thistlethwaite]
2009. . Vancouver: Adaptation to Climate Change Team (ACT), Simon Fraser University. [with Gordon McBean]
Contact
Email: dhenstra@uwaterloo.ca
Office: Hagey Hall 303
Phone: x46829