An investigation of factors that influence coastal communities' ability to adopt or participate in climate change adaptation planning in the Atlantic Provinces

Abstract

Coastal communities in the Atlantic Provinces are currently facing a number of social and economic challenges related to climate change. Community decision makers in the Atlantic Provinces have expressed further need for guidance to make informed decisions to adapt to their changing coastal environment in order to avoid the possibility of maladaptation. Research was situated within a broader Atlantic Climate Adaptation Solutions Association (ACASA) Atlantic project developing the Coastal Community Adaptation Toolkit (CCAT). Engaging with decision makers in small communities in the Atlantic Provinces, and understanding how they make decisions (or not) around adaptation was the key foundation step in developing the on-line decision support tool. Coastal stakeholder insight was solicited through workshops, interviews and an online survey. Themes that help community decision makers participate in adaptation planning: include: knowledge transfer, partnerships, policy enforcement and development, and economic structure. Identifying these themes acknowledges the need to build meaningful relationships between community decision makers and Provincial/Federal departments to improve confidence in the knowledge shared. Many believe Federal and Provincial government departments should be setting standards that municipalities can follow to move forward with their planning There is also a need to acknowledge the value boundary organizations (NGOs, local knowledge holders, academic institutions) add to communities' ability to access expertise, data, expand public awareness and foster internal confidence. Knowledge transfer is still considered a major obstacle in disseminating information to coastal communities across the Atlantic Provinces. Decision makers express that financial constraints in their community leave them with limited resources to plan for long term coastal adaptation.