community vulnerability assessment tool

Community Vulnerability Assessment Tool

Outline

►Context for developing the tool

Atlantic Climate Adaptation Solutions Association

Why develop an assessment tool?

►How the tool was

developed

►The pilot process

►Challenges

►Opportunities

► Future plans

Coastal Erosion in Fortune, NL

Atlantic Climate Adaptation Solutions Association (ACASA)

►Partnership between the Atlantic Provinces and the Government of Canada.

►Launched April 2010 – ends March 2013

$3.5 million Federal Government

$4.6 million Provincial Governments

►http://atlanticadaptation.ca/

Purpose of ACASA

►Purpose is to help communities adapt to impacts of climate change. Assess climate risks and vulnerabilities.

Advance adaptation decision making through the development of regionally relevant tools, knowledge, networks, and policies.

Saltwater Intrusion Flood Risk Mapping Nain in February

Development of the CVAT

Needed a tool specifically designed for small communities with limited resources.

There are many tools available for communities but they often require the expertise of a professional planner.

Dunville, NL

►Why develop a Newfoundland and Labrador Assessment tool?

How was the CVAT developed?

►Partners in CVAT development: Memorial University

Municipalities Newfoundland and Labrador

Professional Municipal Administrators

►Conducted a review of a number of climate change assessment tools The CVAT was based on a tool from the

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)

Community Vulnerability Assessment Tool Development

►The tool is a workbook with six issue sections and an introduction and conclusion:

Flooding

Coastal Issues

Drinking Water Issues

Slope Movement

Winter Hazards

Fire Hazards

7 step process

Community Vulnerability Assessment Tool Development

►Draft version completed in 2010.

►Tool was piloted in nine communities.

► Feedback from those communities was incorporated into the tool.

►Current status: It will be sent to a graphic

designer to be professionally developed.

Pilot Communities in Newfoundland

Corner Brook

Irishtown-Summerside

Logy Bay-Middle Cove-Outer Cove

Ferryland Fortune

Indian Bay

Pilot Communities in Labrador

²Nain

Forteau

Community Vulnerability Assessment Pilot Project

►The pilot process:

Commit to participate Establish key community

contact Gather background information Hold a community meeting or

workshop Provide a workshop summary

and explore options Hold a community follow-up

meeting and provide a final report

Indian Bay Community Workshop

Challenges

►Community meetings: How do you get the public to attend and participate?

Doe Hills, NL

►Time commitment

►Planning for unknowns

►Follow through: putting plans into action

Opportunities

►Development of the tool provided us the opportunity to develop partnerships with:

Bonne Bay, NL

Memorial University

Municipalities Newfoundland and Labrador

Professional Municipal Administrators

Pilot communities

Opportunities

►Opportunity to support communities and to learn from them how best to provide support in the future

►Opportunity to provide comment on municipal plans and emergency planning.

Newfoundland and Labrador

Future Plans

►Municipalities Newfoundland and Labrador (MNL) are leading the next phase:

Development of a shortened, infrastructure focused workbook

Hosting of a series of workshops through MNL and Professional Municipal Administrators

Avalon Peninsula, NL

Future Plans

►Development of an ACASA online ‘toolkit’ where communities can access:

Ferryland, NL

The Community

Vulnerability Assessment tool

Local climate change related information

Technical work Maps Case Studies

Thank You!

►Comments or questions? ACASA website: http://atlanticadaptation.ca/ Kimberly Bittermann Climate Change Adaptation Coordinator Department of Environment and Conservation Government of Newfoundland and Labrador kimberlybittermann@gov.nl.ca (709) 729-1790