Context
In 2017-2018, CCG carried out the adaptation plan for L’Islet Municipality (3,787 inhabitants) located in the MRC of L’Islet in the Chaudière-Appalaches region.
The municipality borders the St. Lawrence River and is known for its maritime museum. The proximity of the river is the reason why the elected officials of the municipality wanted to know the risks related to climate change, especially regarding the risk of flooding due to rising water levels.
Steps of the process
Thus, CCG first conducted a risks and vulnerabilities analysis to climate change, in relation to various past, present and future climate hazards and their consequences on the territory. The vulnerabilities were classified into four categories: economic, natural environment, built environment, public health and citizen services. This analysis revealed that in the short and medium term, other issues are more pressing than the rise in the river level, such as a decrease in the quantity or quality of drinking water or an acceleration of shoreline erosion.
In a second step, CCG developed, in close collaboration with the municipality, an adaptation plan composed of a vision, orientations and an action plan to reduce the vulnerability of the territory to future impacts of climate change. As a result, 32 actions have been retained, which can be consulted in full on the Phareclimat.com website.
Integration of citizen considerations
CCG used the Ouranos guide “Developing a Climate Change Adaptation Plan” and supplemented it with the ICLEI guide “Changing Climate, Changing Communities”. In each step, CCG organized a consultation with stakeholders and citizens in an inclusive approach, which ensures the sustainability of the process. These activities helped us to understand the perception of climate risks by the territory’s stakeholders and to improve the measures of the action plan. In total, nearly 60 people were present and were able to enrich the initiative with their suggestions and recommendations.
Impacts
Overall, the adaptation plan has made it possible to implement numerous initiatives. These include tree distribution activities to help stabilize riverbanks, citizen awareness campaigns on climate risks, and the implementation of rules to limit land artificialisation in new developments.
In the end, the adaptation plan, available on the municipality web site, is a tool to guide projects that aim to preserve the quality of life of citizens, the health of ecosystems and the integrity of infrastructures. It is also a means for all municipal departments to consider the changing climate in their day-to-day operations by integrating it into municipal planning.
The FCM published a detailed article on this project.
