The majority of Canada’s coastal population lives directly on the Atlantic (east) and Pacific (west) coastlines, where rising sea levels, storm surges, and high tides can act together to cause flooding, with damaging impacts on communities and infrastructure. The need to rapidly combat these threats is underscored in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s Sixth Assessment Report, which highlights that sea-level rise is locked-in “for centuries to millennia to come.”
The new guidance, supported by the Standards Council of Canada, the National Research Council of Canada, and Infrastructure Canada, catalogues approaches falling under two types of coastal protection:
Traditional
Grey
Infrastructure:
Hard,
engineered
coastal
protection
measures,
such
as
seawalls,
dikes,
and
barriers;
and
Nature-Based
Solutions:
Measures
that
depend
on,
or
mimic,
natural
systems
to
manage
flood
and
erosion
risk,
such
as
saltmarsh
restoration
or
replenishing
beach
and
dune
systems
with
sand.
Nature-based
solutions
in
particular
have
a
vital
role
in
managing
coastal
flood
and
erosion
risk
in
Canada.
International
experience
demonstrates
that
these
measures
not
only
provide
protection
against
coastal
flooding
and
erosion,
but
can
also
deliver
multiple
benefits,
including
improved
biodiversity,
carbon
sequestration
and
storage,
enhanced
social
wellbeing
and
tourism.
“We can no longer manage coastal risks by endlessly fighting against natural processes,” said report author, Joanna Eyquem, managing director of Climate-Resilient Infrastructure at the Intact Centre. “There are real win-win opportunities to work with nature in the long-term, with multiple benefits for the community and beyond.”
The report identifies three interventions to scale up the use of nature-based solutions for coastal protection in Canada:
National
standards
that
help
factor
the
benefits
of
nature-based
solutions
into
decision-making;
Performance
monitoring
to
demonstrate
where
and
how
nature-based
solutions
can
work
best
in
Canada;
and
Engagement
of
the
private
sector
to
help
finance
and
deliver
nature-based
solutions,
as
part
of
adaptation
finance.
The
report
also
stresses
that
it
is
not
necessary
to
choose
between
“green”
or
“grey”
infrastructure
solutions.
As
with
climate
adaptation
and
the
reduction
of
greenhouse
gases,
both
approaches
can
and
should
be
considered
and
used
together.
“As this year’s devastating floods in BC have shown, we are still not doing enough to defend our communities from the extreme impacts of climate change,” said Chantal Guay, CEO of the Standards Council of Canada. “In this new normal, all adaptation solutions—including those that harness the power of nature—need to be on the table. By compiling case studies and best practices of coastal protection across Canada, this report is an important resource for all coastal communities seeking to guard against the effects of climate change. The report also recommends the development of new National Standards, which have a key role to play in mainstreaming the use of nature-based solutions in coastal adaptation.”
The complete report is available online from the Intact Centre and the Standards Council of Canada.
Contact
details:
Joanna
Eyquem
Managing
Director,
Climate
Resilient
Infrastructure,
Intact
Centre
on
Climate
Adaptation
University
of
Waterloo
514-268-0873
|
joanna.eyquem@uwaterloo.ca
Dr.
Blair
Feltmate
Head,
Intact
Centre
on
Climate
Adaptation
University
of
Waterloo
226-339-3506
|
bfeltmate@uwaterloo.ca
Nadine
James
Communications
Manager,
Standards
Council
of
Canada
613-238-3222
x462
|
nadine.james@scc.ca