The federal environment minister is working on a plan to help Canada be better prepared to deal with the effects of climate change.

With forest fires, heat waves, flooding, and other extreme weather events becoming more common, Minister Steven Guilbeault is developing a plan which will be delivered in the fall to help people be prepared for those emergencies.

Guilbeault says there are simple ways government can pitch in.

He says with forest fires, they can ensure houses are more flame resistant when they are built, and older homes are retrofitted. With flooding, which he says is the most impactful in terms of cost, they often see basement flooding, which can be counteracted with just a few hundred dollars per household.