September 2020
In late September, MEOPAR’s Response Core hosted an interactive virtual National Forum on Coastal Community Resilience: Local Government Initiatives to Address Sea-Level Rise and Coastal Flooding. The forum offered a unique opportunity to connect, share and learn about coastal adaptation approaches for Canada’s coastal municipalities and communities.
From Tofino, B.C. to Digby, N.S., the conference brought together planners from local governments; academic researchers; representatives of Indigenous governments, communities and organizations; delegates of provincial and federal government agencies to discuss initiatives related to climate actions to address natural hazards, coastal flooding and sea level rise. This year’s conference themes focused on technical challenges, engagement and implementation of various resources, tools and guidelines that could be incorporated into broader municipal adaptation plans. The sentiment that echoed across both days emphasized the need for coastal communities to reflect and share lessons about their climate change adaptation journeys whether it was in the design, planning, engagement or implementation stage. The national forum highlighted several research projects and organizations conducting work on climate adaptation initiatives such as the Community Conversation Research Network, Resilient-C Platform and the Ecology Action Centre.
The first set of sessions focused on technical challenges which looked at how coastal municipalities were navigating a range of technical issues that included the interpretation of climate projections, identifying and prioritizing climate vulnerabilities, and assessing diverse adaptation options (e.g. zoning solutions, engineering solutions, green infrastructure, managed retreat). The engagement sessions highlighted successes and challenges faced by practitioners on topics related to public engagement or communication activities, with a focus on addressing sea-level rise and coastal flooding and the current challenges of Covid-19. The final set of sessions focused on implementation which assessed communities’ experiences with putting adaptation plans into action and how cross-sector collaboration and partnerships play a critical role in advancing coastal risk reduction efforts and climate risk management.
Here are some takeaways that I found valuable from the national forum:
- Start developing adaptation plans early on and assess where the knowledge gap exists within your municipality;
- Consulting and developing partnerships with different organizations (ex. First Nation communities, governments, NGO’s) is crucial in policy development and decision making;
- Better and more transparent communication between different agencies and the public is needed, homeowners need to be aware of climate related risks to make informed decisions;
- Communities need to be flexible in their adaptation pathway approaches, the longer municipalities wait to implement certain coastal actions, more options become unavailable;
- Upper tiers of government need to invest in (i.e. provision of human/capital resources) municipalities in order to support the implementation of adaptation plans.
Attendees across Canada gathered together on September 29/30 to participate in the virtual National Forum on Coastal Community Resilience.
October 2020
In late October, MEOPAR held its Annual Training Meeting (ATM) and Annual Scientific Meeting (ASM) virtually which brought together a network of researchers, partners and trainees from across the nation to collaborate, share research and connect with each other via workshops, presentations and networking sessions. The ATM hosted a variety of workshops for early career researchers related to project management, the use of Python technology, navigating trainee-supervisor dynamics and lessons from Covid-19 for climate change. The ASM focused on highlighting research projects on marine operations and transportation, coastal resilience, ocean observation, forecasting/prediction and the advancement of sharing infrastructure.
This year showcased a special panel presented by the MacEachen Institute and MEOPAR on Coastal Risk Governance: Lessons from Covid-19. The panel explored viable policy options for the climate during and following the challenges brought on by the global health pandemic. Moderated by Dr. Ronald Pelot, Associate Scientific Director for MEOPAR, the panel consisted of Nancy Anningson, Senior Coastal Adaptation Coordinator for the Ecology Action Centre; Dr. Jason Thistlethwaite, Associate Professor and CCRF Community Lead at the University of Waterloo; Dr. Paul Foley, Associate Professor at Memorial University and Dr. Melina Kourantidou, Junior Fellow at the MacEachen Institute. Panelists called upon many similarities between coastal risk and the global health crisis warranting the need for a government led proactive, adaptable and collaborative strategy.
The nature of coastal risk (ex. coastal erosion, sea-level rise, extreme weather events, coastal flooding, storm surge, salt-water intrusion of groundwater) for many communities along Canada’s east and west coasts has led municipalities to implement adaptation actions to preserve the coastal ecosystems, protect existing coastal infrastructure and prohibit future coastal development. Panelists recommended the use of rigorous education campaigns, increased intergovernmental coordination, alignment of policies/goals and the prioritization of resources to reduce socio-economic vulnerabilities for communities at heightened risk of coastal threats or Covid-19 transmission.
View the coastal risk governance webinar.