Charting a Course for Coastal Climate Change Adaptation in Canada

Tim Gage 2014, CC by 2.0 Charting a Course for Coastal Climate Change Adaptation in Canada Natascia Tamburello, M. Nelitz, J. Eyzaguirre, E. Olson, C. Cranmer AWRA Conference, Portland, OR, November 7 th 2017

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What is Coastal Adaptation? Policy changes, flood zone mapping and urban planning, etc. Managed relocation Hard and soft coastal protection Strengthening resilience of built coastal infrastructure Improving navigational safety Ecosystem restoration and protection 3

Canada s CC Adaptation Platform Working Groups 4

Working Group Priorities Each group reassesses the State of Play every 5 years Informs next 5 years program priorities for Blue Solutions 5

Working Group Priorities Each group reassesses the State of Play every 5 years Informs next 5 years program priorities for Blue Solutions 6

Key Questions How can we encourage the leap from knowledge to action on adaptation? How do we cut through the noise so people pay attention to this message? How can we work across scales to smooth the way? 7

Translating Knowledge to Action 8

Disconnect in the Theory of Change Theory of Change: Expert Panel on Climate Change Adaptation and Resilience Results Information, tools, data are available and accessible Measured by federal and other programs as part of development and implementation process People are aware of the issue as well as the information and tools that are available People / Orgs have the capacity to use the information and tools in their decision making processes People use the information and tools to identify risks and opportunities from climate change People / Orgs make plans and strategies to address future climate conditions Adaptations are implemented (e.g. across sectors, Expert Panel Challenge Are we more resilient? Are we better adapted? Current status? Target? How to measure? Measured by federal government and other programs 9

Disconnect in the Theory of Change Theory of Change: Expert Panel on Climate Change Adaptation and Resilience Results Information, tools, data are available and accessible Measured by federal and other programs as part of development and implementation process People are aware of the issue as well as the information and tools that are available People / Orgs have the capacity to use the information and tools in their decision making processes People use the information and tools People / Orgs make plans and strategies to address future climate conditions MOTIVATION to identify risks and opportunities from climate change Adaptations are implemented (e.g. across sectors, Expert Panel Challenge Are we more resilient? Are we better adapted? Current status? Target? How to measure? Measured by federal government and other programs 10

Traditional Focus of Adaptation Largely information products Vulnerability & Impact Assessments, Outreach Public Awareness Adaptation Plans Building Capacity 11

and Emerging Areas of Focus Largely information products Policy Instruments Adaptation Evaluation Concrete Implementation 12

Policy Instruments 13

Policy Instruments mechanisms MOTIVATORS A broader set of policy instruments is needed to support desired outcomes in coastal adaptation 14

Policy Instruments Canada s Adaptation Library Assembles regional adaptation reports and case studies. Many regional equivalents. mechanisms SLR Hazard Maps Inform planning Coastal hazard mapping Resource Libraries 15

Policy Instruments mechanisms Adaptation plans required to access funding Industry best-practice incentives Social enterprise models 16

Policy Instruments Accessing the Gas Tax Fund mechanisms Tax on oil and gas industry can be used to fund infrastructure projects BUT towns in Nova Scotia are required to have a Municipal Climate Change Action Plans (MCCAP) to access the $$$. Adaptation plans required to access funding Industry best-practice incentives Social enterprise models 17

Policy Instruments mechanisms Living shores certification and reward programs Social enterprise models 18

Policy Instruments mechanisms Adaptation Data & Tech as Products Ice monitoring program exploring ways to market monitoring data and technology to make adaptation selfsustaining & create local jobs. Living shores certification and reward programs Social enterprise models 19

Policy Instruments Restrictions on flood insurance Penalties for non-compliance with building standards mechanisms 20

Policy Instruments Restrictions on flood insurance Penalties for non-compliance with building standards mechanisms Fraser Basin Council Flood Mgmt Undertaking integrated flood risk management planning in Fraser Basin, BC, including recommendations for restrictions to insurance in high-risk flood zones. 21

Policy Instruments Restrictions on development of natural coastlines Construction standards mechanisms But how do we know what is working? 22

Policy Instruments Restrictions on development of natural coastlines Construction standards mechanisms Northern Infrastructure Standardization Initiative (NISI) New Northern building codes to plan for a future with melting permafrost and altered snow loads. But how do we know what is working? 23

Concrete Implementation + Eval. Northern Transportation Adaptation Initiative (NTAI) [2011-2016] $11 million for transport adaptation projects 20% of funds earmarked for implementation projects (developing, testing & evaluating adaptation techniques in the field) Coastal hazard mapping Cost-benefit analyses 24

Implementation Evaluation 2017 Fall Reports of the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development to the Parliament of Canada Report 2 Adapting to the Impacts of Climate Change Assessment of 19 federal departments to evaluate their progress on CCA Found lack of central direction or a concrete action plan and that departments didn t know what to do and by when. Only 5 / 19 organizations managed their climate change risks. 25

Striving For a Balanced Diet plenty of EXERCISE (a.k.a., implementation). and regular CHECK-UPS (a.k.a., evaluation). 26

Communicating in a Complex System 27

Working Group Priorities 28

Working Group Priorities 29

94 p. Daunting 1 p. Tractable 30

Skip to relevant part of huge report Deeper engagement with subject matter grasp key points in < 5 minutes. i REALLY care about this bit 31

79 p. 5 x 1 p. Especially useful for decisionmakers (here business owners, investors, policymakers) 32

Case Study: Communicating Vulnerability Interactive visualizations of possible future scenarios Helps communities understand impacts to places that matter to them Increased engagement for adaptation in PEI 33

Case Study: Communicating Adaptation Highly visual website Memorable branding & iconography Photos of people and technology in action Business case for social value & social enterprise 34

The Eyes Have It Invest TIME and MONEY into visual communication Via Wyzowl Communications. 35

Adaptation Planning Across Scales 36

Scales of Impact COUNTRY Spatial Scale REGION COMMUNITY INDIVIDUALS Weather System Storm Event Climate Cycles Erosional Processes Adapted from Cash et al. 2006, Ecology & Society DAYS YEARS DECADES Temporal Scale 37

Scales of Adaptation Spatial Scale COUNTRY REGION COMMUNITY Regional Response Orgs Private Sector ACASA BCRAC INDIVIDUALS DAYS YEARS DECADES Temporal Scale 38

Scales of Adaptation Spatial Scale COUNTRY REGION COMMUNITY Regional Response Orgs Private Sector ACASA BCRAC INDIVIDUALS DAYS YEARS DECADES Temporal Scale 39

Adaptation Scale Mismatches COUNTRY Spatial Scale REGION COMMUNITY Coastal Protection / Green Shores Coastal Erosion Scale Match INDIVIDUALS DAYS YEARS DECADES Temporal Scale 40

Adaptation Scale Mismatches Spatial Scale COUNTRY REGION COMMUNITY Scale Mismatch Bird Habitat Restoration Impacts to Seabirds from Changes in Prey Timing Pre-emptively Protect Nesting Habitat in Future Optimum Zones Scale Match INDIVIDUALS DAYS YEARS DECADES Temporal Scale 41

Better Alignment Needed Adaptation programs should align with scale of climate change impacts and limiting factors. More investment needed in adaptation across broader spatial scales and longer time horizons. Boundary bridging organizations are key. Where no traction at larger scales, scale down to build momentum. 42

If not now, when? 43

Thank You! Contacts Natascia Tamburello (ntamburello@essa.com) Jimena Eyzaguirre (jeyzaguirre@essa.com) Acknowledgements We would like to thank Natural Resources Canada, the Coastal Management Working Group, and the coastal experts / adaptation practitioners who provided input. Full Citation / Further Information Tamburello, N., M. Nelitz, J. Eyzaguirre, and E. Olson. 2017. Adaptation Platform Coastal Management Working Group State of Play Report. Final Report to Natural Resources Canada, Ottawa, ON. 44