MUNICIPALITIES ADAPTING TO A CHANGING CLIMATE - PRACTICAL RESOURCES TO KICK-START ACTION - PRAC / MCCAC Workshop Leduc, AB

MUNICIPALITIES ADAPTING TO A CHANGING CLIMATE
 – PRACTICAL RESOURCES TO KICK-START ACTION
                     PRAC / MCCAC Workshop
                            Leduc, AB

     March 5, 2015

PRESENTATION OUTLINE
• Context
• State of municipal adaptation planning in Canada
• An ideal time to begin adaptation/resiliency efforts?
   – New programs, guides and resources available

• Examples
• Taking initial action.
• Questions, comments, etc.

CONTEXT:
• Local governments are already experiencing CC impacts

CONTEXT:
• Today’s infrastructure decisions become the infrastructure
  of tomorrow (and the next 50-150 years…)

 Vehicle

 Building

 Pipes

 Bridge

 Subdivision

               0   25   50   75    100     125   150    175

CONTEXT:

 Original Tacoma Narrows Bridge   Deh Cho Bridge, N.W.T
 (“Galloping Gertie”)
                                  Opened in 2012 with an
 Opened in July 1940 and          expected 75-year lifespan.
 collapsed four months later      Built to reduce vulnerability to
 due to aeroelastic flutter       climate change impacts (e.g.
                                  rising temperatures, thawing
                                  permafrost)

ADAPTATION PLANNING IN CANADA
• Although many LGs are becoming increasingly aware of the issue,
  most have not yet begun to proactively develop a plan or strategy

      Which of the statements below best describes your local government’s
      situation?
      We have an adaption plan/strategy in place.                                                 5%

      We are now in the process of developing an adaptation plan/strategy.                       7.5%
      We do not have an individual adaptation plan/strategy, but we have incorporated
      adaptation into an existing plan or plans.                                                 7.5%

      We are now in the process of incorporating adaptation into an existing plan.               3.3%
      We are beginning to discuss adaptation, but are not at the stage of developing a plan or
      strategy, or incorporating adaptation into an existing plan.                               20.4%
      We do not have an adaptation plan/strategy and are not considering adaptation
      planning at this time.                                                                     45.1%

      Other                                                                                      5.8%

      Source: 2014 National Municipal Adaptation Survey (NMAP)

ADAPTATION PLANNING IN CANADA
Barriers to Integration
• Low levels of awareness (this is changing)
• Gap between (local) science and local planning
• Uncertainties affect willingness to take action
• Available tools/initiatives have focused on
  mitigation through GHG reduction (this is
  changing)
• Few examples of comprehensive adaptation
  strategies and tools (but this is changing)
• Competing priorities and no sense of urgency
• No requirement in funding programs

Climate change is happening among a range of
changes within the human and natural
environment

Adaptation cannot be a substitute for good land
     use planning, policy and decision making.

If you build on a flood plain you will get flooded,
regardless of climate change.

AN IDEAL TIME TO START?
• Several new programs, guidebooks and resources have recently
  become available to support LGs:

 ICLEI Canada’s “Changing Climate, Changing
  Communities Guide and Workbook for Municipal
  Climate Adaptation”

 Building Adaptive and Resilient Communities (BARC)
  Program

 Engineers Canada’s PIEVC Protocol

 FCM and CSA’s e-learning course “Adapting to
  Severe Weather and a Changing Climate”

 “Élaborer un plan d’aptation aux changements
  climatiques” (Ouranos/Gouvernement du Québec)

AN IDEAL TIME TO START?
• Access to research on climate change impacts and projections is also
  increasing:

 Natural Resources Canada’s “Canada in a
  Changing Climate: Sector Perspectives on
  Impacts and Adaptation” (update to 2008
  science assessment report)

 New Brunswick’s Flood Risk Reduction Strategy,
  etc.

 www.adaptationlibrary.ca

AN IDEAL TIME TO START?
•   There is also now a group of “early-adopters” and leading municipalities
    whose plans we can look to for guidance, examples, etc.

       District of Saanich, BC             City of Vancouver, BC

       City of North Vancouver, BC         Ville de Sherbrooke, QC

       City of Windsor, ON                 Ville de Québec, QC

       City of Toronto, ON                 50+ LGs in Nova Scotia?

       City of Surrey, BC                  Provincial frameworks in Ontario,
                                             Nova Scotia and British Columbia

ADAPTATION AND GMF…
•   Currently, FCM’s Green Municipal Fund does not explicitly fund municipal
    initiatives in adaptation, but the parameters of the fund are evolving and
    there is more flexibility for innovative projects that promote integrated
    approaches with co-benefits.
     – GMF grants for local climate action plans (PCP Milestones 1-3): focus has
       traditionally been on mitigation (reducing GHGs) but adaptation elements can be
       incorporated into proposal provided their costs are not disproportionate

     – GMF grants for sustainable neighbourhood action plans: flexibility to include
       adaptation components as well (e.g. stormwater management, etc.)

     – GMF loans and grants for capital projects in five categories: brownfields, energy,
       transportation, waste, or water.

          Ex. Project by the City of Granby, QC (GMF 13023) to solve problem of sewer backup in a
          particular neighbourhood of the city. Project included many adaptation elements, such as
          decreasing the amount of impervious pavement, installing a below ground retention basin
          and building a vegetated swale along the roadway.

EXAMPLE: DELTA, BC
•   Joined ICLEI Canada’s BARC program in 2010 and has been working through
    the program’s milestone framework

•   Low-lying communities and farmland located in South Delta vulnerable to
    future sea-level rise, storm surges, flooding, etc.

•   Municipal staff worked with residents
    and a team from UBC to examine what
    Delta’s future would look like in terms of
    potential flooding and flood
    management solutions

•   Visualizations were developed, which
    helped residents and decision makers
    understand the different flood
    adaptation efforts that could be taken
    within the community

EXAMPLE: NORTH VANCOUVER, BC
•   Also a member of ICLEI’s BARC program, the City completed its first
    adaptation plan in 2013

•   Had experienced several extreme-weather events, including a 2005 landslide
    caused by heavy precipitation that led to loss of life and property damage.

•   As a first step, the City decided to
    conduct a city-wide risk assessment
    of properties on steep slopes

•   Worked with homeowners to
    undertake geotechnical work, part
    of which involved homeowners
    developing a safety plan

Example: Edmonton, AB
             Assessing Vulnerability of Bridges
• Quesnell Bridge
• Assessment in 2010
• Applied the PIEVC
  protocol
• Results
   – Changes to stormwater
     collection infrastructure on
     bridge deck
   – Movement of stormwater
     retention pond in
     anticipation of river
     flooding.

City of Saskatoon Superpipes
                Preventing Sewer Overflow
• Superpipes are sanitary sewer
  holding tanks designed to
  capture overflows during
  severe rain events and reduce
  the risk of private property
  damage from flooding.
• In addition to reducing the risk
  of basement flooding, this local
  storage also helps reduce the
  incidence and severity of
  sanitary sewer spills into the
  South Saskatchewan River
• 7 tanks to date starting in 2008

Coquihalla Highway, Bristish Columbia
 Climate Change Engineering Vulnerability Assessment
• March 2010                           • Conclusion - Based on this risk
• Applied the PIEVC Engineering          assessment, the Coquihalla
  Protocol developed by Engineers        Highway is generally resilient to
  Canada                                 climate change with the
                                         exception of drainage
• Assessment evaluated a 44.83km
                                         infrastructure response to
  in length of highway
                                         Pineapple Express events
• Analysis undertaken to identify
  unique climate vulnerabilities for
  the section of highway
• More information

Alberta Flooding
• Medicine Hat                  • Slave Lake
  – Experienced flooding in        – Experienced a major
    2010                             wildfire in 2011
  – Along with provincial          – Province provided $29
    support municipality             million in recovery costs
    invested extra $9 million      – Province will not cover
    in flood prevention              improvements beyond
    infrastructure                   pre-impact levels
    (hardening of riverbank,       – Both communities
    raising trail levels)            illustrated need to build
                                     up reserves in
                                     preparation for disasters

….10 Actions to be more Resilient to
           Climate Change
1. Protect natural areas including wetland,
   marshes and other areas that provide natural
   barriers or absorbing capacity to events like
   storm surges or extreme rainfall.
2. Identify flood prone areas like floodplains and
   enforce no-development policies.
3. Increase the amount of permeable surfaces in
   communities to prevent stormwater runoff (i.e.
   green roofs, interlocking stones instead of
   pavement)

…10 Actions to be more Resilient to
          Climate Change
4. Incorporate climate vulnerability assessment as
   part of standard project risk assessment for all
   major capital projects.
5. Consider establishing more local weather
   monitoring stations to increase the precision
   and currency of weather data for your
   community.
6. Disconnect downspouts and offer rain barrels as
   a way of collecting excess rainwater and
   reducing fresh water consumption for lawn care.

…10 Actions to be more Resilient to
          Climate Change
7. Updating your design building standards to
   reflect projected local climate change rather
   than relaying on historical data.
8. Incorporate climate change (mitigation and
   adaptation) factors in the approvals process for
   new development.
9. Conduct a comprehensive vulnerability
   assessment to identify your community’s most
   likely impacts and options for responding.

10.Manage expectations – all the
  adaptation in the world cannot
   prevent mother nature at her
              worst!

THANKS!

                                Devin Causley
                                Manager, Climate Change
                                Programs
                                T. 613-907-6370
                                E. dcausley@fcm.ca
                                @FCM_DCausley

   http://www.fcm.ca/home/issues/environment/climate-change-adaptation.htm