Collaborative Services Regional Planning | Climate Change Adaptation
Climate Change Adaptation
The Chaleur Regional Service Commission (RSC) is developing a regional action plan regarding climate change adaptation. The Chaleur Regional Advisory Committee on Climate Change Adaptation (CRACCCA) was formed to oversee the project and advise the Chaleur RSC Board of Directors. The action plan will be developed in multiple phases over multiple years.
PHASE 1
Phase 1 was completed in 2018 with the support of the Coastal Zones Research Institutes Inc. (CZRI) and the CRACCCA. The report below explains the completion of phase one, for which the objectives were to determine the scope and type of plan to prepare, depict the situation with respect to the impacts of climate change and analyse the risks, vulnerabilities and needs at the regional level.
To do so, three working meetings with employees of the Chaleur RSC, the CRACCCA and the CZRI took place, as well as two tabletop exercises including key stakeholders. The CZRI gathered available data and information to make a portrait of the situation regarding climate change impacts, risks and vulnerabilities. That documentary research was then validated and completed with local knowledge at the tabletop exercises.
The results are a portrait of the current and future situation. Gaps in the data and information available were identified. Please see the document below to view the results of phase 1 of the project.
Regional Action Plan Regarding Climate Change Adoption
PHASE 2
Phase 2 was completed in 2019 with the support of WSP Global Inc., RegNord and the CRACCCA.
WSP Global Inc. helped in the creation of a more detailed climate change adaption plan using the findings of phase 1 and the gathering of more refined information. The WSP Global Inc. report below was created using best practices in building a climate change plan for the municipal sector. The plan was built following a climate change risk assessment coherent with ISO 31000 standards.
REGIONAL CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION PLAN
It was identified in Phase 1 a lack of current information on erosion in certain sectors of our region. The company RegNord was retained to perform an erosion analysis of the coastal sector from Pointe-Verte to Nigadoo. The results form this study are found below.
PHASE 3
Phase 3 was completed in 2020 with the support of WSP Canada INC and the CRACCCA. In order to have a deep understanding of the risks for the CRSC territory, WSP Canada Inc was mandated to perform two studies.
The first report was a continuity of Phase 2, Regional climate change adaptation plan, which had for objective to develop an action plan to implement concrete preselected measures, and practical and precise land use planning tools, to adapt to climate change.
Climate Adaptation Plan - Phase 3
The second report, meanwhile, has allowed to continue the analysis on coastal erosion for the CRSC, and included the study for the municipalities of Belledune and Beresford. Results of these analyses have permitted to identified infrastructures and sectors potentially at erosion risk for the decades to come in order to implement a specific adaptation plan to address risks to each of these sectors.
Erosion and flooding risk analysis - Portion of the territory of the Chaleur RSC
The making of these reports was made possible thanks to the New-Brunswick Environmental Trust Fund.
PHASE 4
Phase 4 was completed in 2022 with the support of Géo Littoral Consultant and the CRACCCA.
The coastal evolution of the study area (Nigadoo, Beresford, Salmond Beach and Janeville) from 1944 to 2018/2020 highlights the dynamic nature of the coastal zone. This study is in consistent with the results of other studies made elsewhere in the northern parts, as well as in the southeastern parts of the Province, which shows an erosion-dominated evolution (and some localized sites where the coast has advanced). Two scenarios (to the years 2025 and 2100) were developed to model futures coastline positions and to identify infrastructures that may be risk: "Conservative" and "Pessimistic".
Coastal Erosion Risk Analysis for Part of the Territory of the Chaleur Regional Service Commission