Case study series: Adapting to climate change impacts on the water cycle
Learn how five Canadian municipalities are using climate data to identify and respond to risk
CLIMATE ADAPTATION
Climate change has a significant impact on the water cycle and sea levels, resulting in long-term and extreme weather events like flooding, increased precipitation and droughts. To address water-related risks and vulnerabilities worsened by climate change, communities from coast to coast to coast are adapting their infrastructure design and planning processes.
Your municipality needs reliable climate data and projections to effectively adapt to local climate challenges. To help you make sense of climate data, our Municipalities for Climate Innovation Program (MCIP) partnered with the Canadian Center for Climate Services (CCCS) to develop a series of five case studies to explore how small and medium sized municipalities used data to improve their resilience. In the case studies, you’ll discover:
- the importance of climate data
- how to integrate existing climate data as you develop different types of plans
- ways to access and track local data for the benefit of your entire municipality
- essential climate data portals local governments can access to find local climate projections
- examples of how municipalities across Canada are responding to past and future climate impacts that jeopardize their communities
- resources relating to identifying climate vulnerabilities in your community
- the role climate data plays in identifying risks and developing adaptation strategies
Grand Forks, British Columbia: Strengthening flood resilience
Find out how the City of Grand Forks is using climate data and state of the art flood models to guide their resilient recovery following significant flooding in 2018.
L’Islet, Quebec: Developing a community climate action plan
Learn about the community’s approach to identify how the climate hazards they are facing will change into the future, and how they are preparing.
Saint John, New Brunswick: Adapting to floods and storm surges
Read about Saint John’s concurrent community and infrastructure climate risk assessments, and how the city is working to safeguard citizens and services.
Quinte Conservation, Ontario: Enhancing community drought resilience
Discover how a conservation authority is pairing climate projections and condition monitoring to identify and prepare for drought conditions, and what the 18 involved municipalities will do when identified thresholds are exceeded.
Windsor, Ontario: Integrating climate change adaptation into municipal planning
Learn about Windsor’s approach to mainstreaming climate change into decision-making across the organization by implementing a council report climate lens.
Who is this case study series for?
This case study series was developed for municipal staff in small and medium sized communities who have positions as asset managers, climate change staff, engineers, planners and water/stormwater coordinators.
What’s next
Resources to help you to continue your community’s adaptation journey
Talking it through: Guide for local government staff on climate adaptation
These case studies were created for the Municipal Climate Services Collaborative (MCSC), a joint initiative of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) and the Canadian Centre for Climate Services (CCCS). The MCSC draws on the expertise of local governments, Provincial and Territorial Associations and expert organizations representing each region of Canada to develop resources that facilitate the use of climate information local government decision-making.
Featured Resources
Climate-Ready Communities Assessment Tool
Assess your community’s climate adaptation efforts and discover actionable steps to improve resilience
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How to protect municipal infrastructure from climate hazards
Read moreFactsheet: Why equity matters in municipal climate adaptation
Explore the importance of taking on equity-centred climate adaptation work
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Webinar recording: Climate risk assessment and adaptation planning for municipalities
Learn how to identify climate impacts, assess climate risks and create an equitable, community-informed municipal adaptation plan.
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Tip sheet: Start weaving climate adaptation into your municipality’s everyday activities
Make climate adaptation core to your municipal operations. Use this tip sheet to align actions with municipal plans, processes and systems.
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Tip sheet: Start involving diverse voices in municipal climate adaptation
Engage diverse voices in municipal climate adaptation. Explore tips for using inclusive and equitable engagement in climate adaptation work.
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Tip sheet: Start tracking and evaluating your climate adaptation efforts
Keep your climate adaptation plan on track. Use this tip sheet to start tracking progress and make improvements as you go.
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Tip sheet: Start putting your climate adaptation plan into action
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Tip sheet: Start building council momentum for climate adaptation
Build support for climate adaptation. Get tips for strengthening council commitment and climate adaptation policies.
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Tip sheet: Start collaborating on municipal climate adaptation
Start collaborating on municipal climate adaptation. Explore tips for working with others in meaningful and effective ways.
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Tip sheet: Start resourcing your municipality for climate adaptation
Start resourcing your municipality for climate adaptation. Get tips on prioritizing climate resilience while balancing community priorities and organizational resources.
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Webinar recording: Learn how to build a strong Adaptation in Action implementation project application
Learn how to apply for Adaptation in Action funding with tips, tools, and expert advice to build a strong municipal climate adaptation proposal.
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Webinar recording: Climate-resilient buildings: Tools and insights for municipalities
Discover tools and insights to help municipalities design climate-resilient buildings for long-term climate adaptation.
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Webinar recording: Low Carbon Resilience approach for municipal processes
Watch our webinar to learn how the Low Carbon Resilience approach can support municipal climate planning. Discover practical steps.
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Tip sheet: Start climate adaptation planning
Prioritize your climate adaptation actions. Get tips to identify impactful actions to build your community’s climate resilience.
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Tip sheet: Start assessing your local climate risks
Assess your community’s climate risks. Get tips to strengthen your local government’s ability to evaluate and manage them effectively.
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Tip sheet: Start identifying local climate impacts
Use data to understand how climate change impacts your community. Get tips on making climate information useful and relevant to local decision making.
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Adaptation resource library
Discover best-in-class reports, guides, case studies, templates and more, all aimed at helping you advance your community’s climate resilience.
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Tip sheet: Start preparing for climate risk assessment and adaptation plan
Kickstart your climate risk assessment and adaptation plan. Get tips on scoping your project and assembling the necessary information, skills and resources.
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Climate resilience training from GMF Partners
Find climate resilience training for municipal staff and officials. Explore GMF Partner-led workshops, webinars, and events to boost climate adaptation skills.
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Webinar recording: National flood resilience standards for municipal climate planning
Learn how national standards can strengthen municipal climate resilience. Discover practical steps for adapting your climate plans.
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Climate-Ready Communities Assessment Tool
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Webinar recording: Climate data in action
Learn how climate data enhances municipal adaptation projects and strategies for effective climate adaptation planning.
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Resources: How to document and maintain municipal levels of service
Improve how your municipality sets and documents levels of service with this handy set of practical tools.
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Factsheet: Why equity matters in municipal climate adaptation
Discover how your local government can build equity into its climate resilience activities. Read this factsheet for key definitions and helpful resources.
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Adaptation Actions to Implement Climate Resilience
Use this web-based tool to guide early conversations around climate adaptation implementation in your municipality.
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Factsheet: Applying an Indigenous inclusion lens to climate adaptation
Discover examples and strategies on how Indigenous perspectives can strengthen municipal climate adaptation strategies.
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Factsheet: Advancing government-to-Nation relationships
Discover tips and real-world examples for advancing government-to-Nation relationships in this factsheet.
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Factsheet: Advancing equity, diversity and inclusion in municipal service delivery
Discover key definitions and examples that can help you advance equity, diversity and inclusion in municipal service delivery.
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Connect and Collaborate with Communities of Practice
Learn about how a Community of Practice can support your municipality’s climate adaptation activities. Discover and apply to join a collaborative network to address climate impacts facing your community.
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Adaptation in Action coaching
Learn how Adaptation in Action coaching services can support your municipality in implementing climate adaptation projects.
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Webinar recording: Navigating equitable climate adaptation in Canadian municipalities
Explore municipal climate adaptation across Canada and discover the landscape of equitable climate action in our webinar.
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Learning journey: Climate resilience and asset management
Discover how your community can combine its climate action and asset management approaches, with our learning journey. Watch a video and read our easy-to-understand factsheets and guide.
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Tool: Starting the conversation about asset management
Share our ready-to-use, customizable presentation with your municipal council to raise awareness of asset management and its value to your community. Download it today.
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How to implement asset management in your municipality
Discover how to make asset management practices a part of your municipality’s daily business decision-making framework. Learn from a video, case study and checklist, developed to support your municipality.
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Tools: Operations and maintenance for climate resilience
Learn strategies to improve your community’s climate resilience through your existing assets and programs. Check out our handbook, worksheet and factsheets.
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Video series: Climate resilience and asset management
Watch this video series to learn how municipalities across Canada are making climate action a part of their municipal asset management practices and decision-making.
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Integrating Climate Considerations: Governance and Operations
Municipal day-to-day operations need to integrate climate change data and considerations. Read this page to learn questions and tools that can help you take climate action in your community.
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Integrating Climate Considerations: Community planning
Is your municipality updating or renewing its community plan? Check out this page to learn what climate considerations you should be integrating in your planning activities and learn about what tools you will want to use before you create your plan.
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Natural assets bolster climate resilience
Help your municipality understand, value and manage its green infrastructure in the context of climate change with these resources.
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Integrating Climate Considerations: Service delivery planning
Is your municipality reviewing its service delivery planning? This page can help you discover climate considerations you should be integrating in your service delivery planning activities and learn about what tools you will want to use before you create your plan.
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Practical advice for common asset management challenges
Watch our webinar to hear lessons learned and practical advice that will help your municipality tackle common asset management challenges.
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InfraGuide: National guide to sustainable municipal infrastructure
Access reports designed to help you maximize returns on your community’s infrastructure investment and support sustainable infrastructure decisions and actions. Learn more.
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Guide: Getting started with asset management in your municipality
Download the guide now and see how this tool can help your municipality get started on building asset management practices.
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Tool: Asset management readiness scale
Use our Asset Management Readiness Scale to assess your municipality's asset management practices and identify areas for improvement to help you advance.
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Guide: How to develop an asset management policy and strategy
Learn how to set up a sustainable asset management approach in your municipality. Hear from other communities that have successfully built asset management systems.
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Guide: Building sustainable communities with asset management
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Video: Why invest in asset management
Is your municipality struggling to plan for growth, the effects of climate change and infrastructure updates? Watch this video to see how asset management planning can help.
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