A new report showcasing a range of strategies for dealing with flood risks associated with sea level rise was released last week.
“Sea Level Rise Adaptation Primer: A Toolkit to Build Adaptive Capacity on Canada’s South Coasts” provides professionals and local authorities with information on 21 tools that local governments and other authorities can use to implement a sea level rise adaptation strategy.
The primer was developed to support climate change adaptation decision-making by local governments and other agencies that regulate shoreline and floodplain development in British Columbia’s coastal areas.
Because of the unique cross-Canada partnership that was formed to direct the project, the primer will also be relevant in Quebec, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, and Newfoundland and Labrador.
“The primer will help local governments in coastal areas build strategies to prepare for sea level rise that will occur over the coming decades,” said Environment Minister Terry Lake.
“We want to make sure the investments we make today will last well into the future – so planning needs to begin now.”
This publication complements previous reports on sea level rise released by the Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations, including “Costs of Adaptation: Sea Dikes and Alternative Strategies” (December 2012) and “Climate Change Adaptation Guidelines for Sea Dikes and Coastal Flood Hazard Land Use” (May 2011).
This series of studies and reports represents the best available information at this time for preparing for the impacts of sea level rise in B.C.
In addition to an investment of $15,000 by the B.C. government, the primer was prepared with $50,000 in funding from Natural Resources Canada’s Regional Adaptation Collaborative Program, as well as a contribution of $7,500 from the Atlantic Climate Adaptation Solutions Association (consisting of the provinces of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland and Labrador) and $7,500 from Simon Fraser University’s Adaptation to Climate Change Team.
The primer was developed with input from a range of stakeholders from all levels of government from the Atlantic provinces and British Columbia.
For more information, or to view the primer, please visit the Climate Action Secretariat’s sea level rise website at www.env.gov.bc.ca/cas/adaptation/sea_level.