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Adapting to Climate Change: An Introduction for Canadian Municipalities
What Is Climate Change Adaptation?
Climate change adaptation refers to any action that reduces the negative impact of climate or takes advantage of potential new opportunities Anticipatory adaptation is implemented prior to a climate event. It is most effective as a guiding principle when several options are under consideration. Reactive adaptation occurs in response to the impact of a climate event. It most commonly takes place after a natural disaster. In most cases, anticipatory adaptation is the most cost-effective and efficient plan of action.
Planned adaptation can support either anticipatory or reactive adaptations. Successful adaptation measures enable communities to plan for and respond effectively to the challenges of climate-related events. They may also present other benefits, for example, water conservation measures will also lower energy costs related to treatment.
Adaptation measures can be organized into five basic categories as described in Table 1. In most cases, the aim of adaptation is to increase the resilience of a municipality. The measures presented are examples of adaptations for a storm surge event and do not present an exhaustive list of possibilities. Each municipality will need to develop its own list of potential adaptations that are reflective of a community's circumstances.
TABLE 1: Types of adaptation measures that can be implemented for a storm surge event
| Category | Explanation | Example of ensuing adaptation |
|---|---|---|
| Business as usual | Do nothing to reduce vulnerability and absorb losses | Rebuild, or abandon, affected structures |
| Prevent the loss | Adopt measures to reduce vulnerability | Engineer structures to withstand greater winds, heavier precipitation, and more frequent flooding |
| Spread or share the loss | Spread burden of losses across different systems or populations | Purchase flood insurance |
| Change the activity | Stop activities that are not sustainable under the new climate, and substitute with other activities | Prevent development on coastal land below a set elevation, and rehabilitate natural vegetation |
| Change the location | Displace the infrastructure or system | Relocate coastal infrastructure further inland outside of risk zone |
| Enhance adaptive capacity | Enhance the resiliency of the system to improve its ability to deal with stress | Preserve or rehabilitate natural coastal systems that protect the shore |
(Adapted from NRCan 2004)