Case studies
Assessment of Vulnerabilities
An important part of the process was an assessment of vulnerabilities. An assessment was made using research results (e.g., reports and interviews) from NRCan and other sources. SDM ranking and weighting techniques were used to analyse the vulnerabilities. This information was integrated into the adaptation strategy development process.
A key task of the workshops was to develop a more precise understanding of the municipal concerns and compile a ranked list of these concerns specific to each of the three NRCan case study themes. This work was initially conducted in smaller break-out groups (six to ten people per group), who then reported back to the plenary for comments and revisions. Participants began with the output from the earlier discussions, but were encouraged to include new ideas or refine the meaning of previously introduced concepts. For example, one of the key concerns was sea level rise. The top adaptation concerns identified by elected officials, municipal planners, the Tssawwassen First Nation, and regional government engineers facing the prospect of sea level rise were all related to either identifying alternatives or evaluating their consequences. They included:
- The need for guidelines on infrastructure renewal and maintenance that would be specific to infrastructure types (e.g., storm sewers);
- The need for information about the anticipated magnitude, expressed in ranges (with confidence intervals) as well as averages, of climate change as relating to natural resources and the environment;
- Information on the extent to which coastal communities can expect property losses due to flooding;
- The need for area-specific recommendations regarding land use planning;
- The need for improved predictions regarding the effects of climate change on municipal economies;
- Information specific to the effects of climate change on First Nations communities (where applicable); and
- Help in developing materials and information strategies to increase the salience of climate change as a concern for residents living in affected communities.