Implications Of Climate Change For Small Coastal Communities In Atlantic Canada

Summary of the results of the 2d phase of a study to assess the physical and ecological impacts of climate change on the marine environment and economy of Atlantic Canada. The first phase focused on the potential impacts on fisheries, marine transportation, energy development, coastal infrastructure, and tourism and recreation. This report expands on the potential impacts of climate change on the fisheries and aquaculture and identifies the potential vulnerabilities of some coastal communities in Atlantic Canada.

This report summarizes the most recent literature describing the impacts of current climate and the potential effects of anticipated climate change on the environment and on those social and economic sectors in Atlantic Canada most likely to undergo significant changes. Chapter 1 describes the physical, historical/cultural, and socio-economic resources of the region. Chapter 2 details current climatic conditions in Atlantic Canada, including variability and recent trends. Chapter 3 reviews the impacts of the current climate on the following: fisheries and plankton, the coastal zone, ecosystem science and water resources, agriculture, forestry, and the economy. Chapter 4 outlines measures that could be undertaken to adapt to climate change in the fishery, the coastal zone, agriculture, and forestry. The final chapter summarizes knowledge gaps and research priorities in such areas as climatological monitoring and modelling, climate change impacts, and socio-economic issues.

Includes policy and scientific overviews; atmospheric and oceans processes; human health implications of climate change and ozone depletion; agricultural, ecological and water resource implications; implications for coastal planning; urban planning; the Caribbean, Arctic, and various other regions; energy implications; and developing a framework for international climate change.

As climate change, resource overexploitation, and pollution leave ever more visible marks, ocean ecosystems, economies, and people are all affected. With coasts on the Atlantic, Pacific, and Arctic, Canada faces a formidable challenge in building resilient, sustainable oceans and supporting the communities that rely on them. Sea Change reports on the OceanCanada Partnership, a multidisciplinary project to take stock of what we know about Canada’s oceans, construct possible scenarios for coastal regions, and create a national dialogue and vision. Three themes emerge from this impressive synthesis of social, cultural, economic, and environmental research: ocean change, access to ocean resources, and ocean governance. Indigenous and non-Indigenous scholars and practitioners focus on finding solutions to rapid environmental and social transformation, outlining the implications for legislation and offering policy recommendations. Increasingly, civil society will have to advocate for oceans, and Sea Change will empower the voices of those who take up that task.

"From Impacts to Adaptation: Canada in a Changing Climate 2007 reflects the advances made in understanding Canada's vulnerability to climate change during the past decade. Through a primarily regional approach, this assessment discusses current and future risks and opportunities that climate change presents to Canada, with a focus on human and managed systems. It is based on a critical analysis of existing knowledge, drawn from the published scientific and technical literature and from expert knowledge. The current state of understanding is presented, and key knowledge gaps are identified. Advances in understanding adaptation, as well as examples of recent and ongoing adaptation initiatives, are highlighted throughout the report."--Pub. desc.

The impacts of changing climate are already evident in Canada and globally. Scientific understanding of climate change indicates that Canada will experience significant shifts in weather patterns over the period of a single generation, a trend that will likely continue for several centuries. Communities of all sizes will face many new risks and opportunities. Managing the impacts of a changing climate will require developing local strategies.

This report provides an overview of research in the field of climate change impacts & adaptation over the past five years as it relates to Canada. It begins with a chapter that introduces key concepts in climate change impacts & adaptation research, and discusses current directions in understanding vulnerability, scenarios, and costing. This is followed by seven chapters that each focus on sectors of key importance to Canada: water resources, agriculture, forestry, coastal zone, fisheries, transportation, and human health & well-being. For each sector, the report reviews the potential impacts of climate change along with options available for Canadians to adapt to those impacts. Knowledge gaps and research needs are also identified.

This brief is based on an analysis that was performed on the 2010 winter storms that caused considerable damage to coastal communities in Atlantic Canada. The hazards that occurred were associated with storm surge, high waves, coastal erosion, and flooding. The analysis covered a large multisite longitudinal project, where a participatory action research (PAR) approach was used to understand how people in 10 coastal communities perceive and experience extreme weather events and to enhance their capacity to adapt and improve their resilience. This brief exposes the outcome of two series of interviews and activities that were conducted during the project, as well as the lessons learned, and general elements that should be considered when researchers collaborate with communities to define adaptation and resilience strategies. It makes an important contribution to the application of PAR as an integrated (social-ecological) approach to resilience and how such an approach can be adapted also to other communities.