Canada must act to protect the longest marine and freshwater coastlines in the world from the surge of climate change
Canada has a marine coastline twice as long as any other country and shares four Great Lakes with the United States. A new report warns that without coordinated planning, coastal communities face increasing flooding and erosion as climate change accelerates.
The Intact Centre on Climate Adaptation at the University of Waterloo, in collaboration with the Standards Council of Canada, developed new national guidance to help governments and communities strengthen shoreline resilience. The report, Managing Rising Risks: Climate-Resilient Shorelines for Canada, provides a practical framework for developing Regional Shoreline Management Plans (RSMPs) that integrate science, policy, and local priorities.
In recent weeks, the vulnerability of Canada’s shorelines became evident when the remnants of Hurricane Melissa forced evacuations in Newfoundland and Labrador as wind-driven waters surged over seawalls. As storms and hurricanes intensify due to irreversible climate change, strengthening Canada’s marine and Great Lakes shorelines is essential to protect communities and secure Canada’s capacity to conduct commerce through coastal ports.
The new framework aligns with recommendations from the recent UN Climate Change conference, COP30, which warn of the need to prepare the world’s coastlines from the worsening impacts of storm surge and sea level rise. According to the World Meteorological Association, global mean sea level is increasing at approximately 5 mm per year. Despite these escalating risks, Canada lacks a coordinated national approach to shoreline management.
“The existing gaps in coastal standards have left coastal communities vulnerable to the increasing impacts of climate change,” said Chantal Guay, CEO, Standards Council of Canada. “By providing Canadian-specific direction, this report will guide our communities toward concrete recommendations to address unique regional challenges.”
The guidance outlines nine stages toward regional shoreline protection, including establishing regional committees, engaging Indigenous communities, and integrating outcomes into emergency-management systems — aligned with the international ISO 31000 Risk Management Standard.
“Protecting Canada’s shorelines is critical to our national climate resilience,” said Dr. Anabela Bonada, managing director, climate science at the Intact Centre. “This framework provides clear recommendations for governments to plan collaboratively, respect Indigenous governance rights, and invest in shoreline solutions that protect people, property, and ecosystems for generations to come.”
Top five recommendations from the report:
The guidance is intended to support all levels of government and Indigenous communities, along with conservation authorities, industry partners, and community organizations, as they work to include climate resilience in shoreline decision-making.
“By learning from international experience and traditional knowledge, we can build coastlines that are both climate-resilient and socially equitable,” said Kathryn Bakos, managing director, finance and resilience, Intact Centre. “This report moves Canada toward the national coordination needed to protect communities and infrastructure from rising risks.”
The Standards Council of Canada works with a vast network of partners nationally and around the world, acting as Canada’s voice on standards and accreditation on the international stage.
