Adaptation Planning
Case Study: Graham Island, BC
About the Case Study
Community Context
Climate-related Changes
Community Impacts
Adaptation Actions
More Information
About the Case Study
A team of researchers from the University of Victoria (UVic) and the Geological Survey of Canada (GSC) worked with key community groups, municipalities and other government organizations to assess human and biophysical vulnerability to climate change on Graham Island, BC. The study examined community resilience and adaptive capacity, as well as environmental sensitivity to climate change, and combined these findings to assess ways to build on existing and potential adaptive capacities at the community and household scale. Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) and the Climate Change Impacts and Adaptation Directorate (CCIAD) funded the work. This summary is based on NRCan’s Graham Island Municipal Case Study, one of five in NRCan’s Municipal Case Study series: Climate Change and the Planning Process, and draws on other resources listed at the end of this document.
Community Context
Graham Island is the largest and most northern island in Haida Gwaii. This research focused on three communities located at the northeast end of the island: the Village of Masset, Old Masset (a Haida First Nation community), and Tlell (an unincorporated community in the southern portion of the study area). The Village of Masset and Old Masset are two of the largest villages in Haida Gwaii with approximately 900 and 700 people respectively. These communities are low-lying (approximately one to five metres above sea-level) and are isolated from major urban centres by large distances and infrequent plane and ferry services.
Climate-related Changes
Sea Level Rise
Average sea level has been as low as 150 metres and as high as 18 metres above modern levels at various times in the past 10,000 years. The current rate of sea-level rise is more than 1.5 mm per year. Long term gradual sea level rise will be compounded by El Nino, a shorter term climate events, impacting the coast of northern Haida Gwaii.
Strong Winds and Storm Surges
The beaches and spits of northern Haida Gwaii form a dynamic coastline that has been shaped by high tides, strong wave action, storm surges and strong winds. Winds exceed gale force and storm surges frequently reach 40 to 70 cm.
Air and Ocean Temperature
Average air temperature in northwestern BC has warmed by 1.7°C over the past 100 years — about three items the global average; average ocean temperature rose by 1.6°C — about twice the global average.
Community Impacts
Loss of Beaches, Dunes and Sensitive Ecosystems
The northeast coastline of Graham Island is highly sensitive to sea-level rise due to erodible sediments, tidal range, wave action and on-going erosion. East Beach is retreating at a rate of one to three metres per year, and by tens of metres in extreme years. North Beach is actually growing seaward (prograding), but at a much slower rate than the erosion of East Beach. Coastal erosion contributes to the loss of beaches, dunes and other sensitive ecosystems.
Damage to Key Transportation Routes
Most communities in Haida Gwaii are less than five metres above sea-level and therefore vulnerable to flooding. Coastal properties of residents and businesses have already experienced erosion and flooding. Coastal erosion has damaged Highway #16 that leads to Queen Charlotte City, a critical link to ferries, air service, essential supplies and medical services. The Masset Sanctuary Road, an emergency evacuation route, was closed between November 2003 and May 2004, due to inundation and washouts resulting from high tides and winds. This area will be flooded more frequently with sea level rise.
Infrastructure and Cultural Sites at Risk
Low-lying sewer and water infrastructure along with culturally significant sites such as cemeteries and Rose Spit (considered by the Haida to be the birthplace of their people) are at a high risk of damage from rising sea-levels and coastal erosion. There is also potential for compromised drinking water due to the intrusion of salt water into ground water aquifers.
Adapation Actions
The Graham Island study examined adaptive capacity of local communities and made the following observations.
- Local knowledge, experience and values are key to developing effective climate change adaptation strategies;
- Maps showing sea level impacts and erosion/sedimentation assessments are important planning tools;
- In addition to investments in physical climate change adaptations, investments are also needed in formal education, skills training, quality social and health services and sustainable employment for local residents.
Possible steps toward adaptation include:
- identifying natural hazards and vulnerabilities;
- increasing public awareness of climate change risks and future impacts;
- improving household emergency preparedness;
- developing a community-wide emergency plan, and
- building capacity in a comprehensive manner.
More Information
Graham Island Municipal Case Study
This summary draws on NRCan’s Graham Island Municipal Case Study, one of five in NRCan’s Municipal Case Study series: Climate Change and the Planning Process. The five case studies are available on the Canadian Institute of Planners website. Additional information about the municipal case studies’ research studies is available on NRCan’s website.
Projected sea level rise in British Columbia
Summary Report — Bornhold, Brian D, (2008). Projected Sea Level Changes for British Columbia in the 21st Century. This report is a summary of a study by the Government of Canada and the first comprehensive analysis of sea level change for B.C.’s coast since 1997. It was released by the Province of BC in December 2008.
Full Technical Report — R.E. Thomson, B.D. Bornhold and S. Mazzotti (2008). An Examination of the Factors Affecting Relative and Absolute Sea Level Rise in British Columbia. Canadian Technical Report of Hydrography and Ocean Sciences 260, Fisheries and Oceans Canada (2008).
Case Study-Specific Resources
Abeysirigunawardena, D.S. and Walker, I.J. (in press). Sea level responses to climate variability and change in northern British Columbia. Atmosphere-Ocean.
Conner, T.A. 2005. “Social Vulnerability and Adaptive Capacity to Climate Change Impacts: Identifying Attributes to Two Remote Coastal Communities on Haida Gwaii, British Columbia”. Master’s thesis. University of Victoria.
Dolan, A.H. & Walker, I.J. (2006). Understanding vulnerability of coastal communities to climate change related risks. Journal of Coastal Research, SI 39: 1317-1324
Walker, I.J. & Barrie, J.V. (2006). Geomorphology and sea-level rise on one of Canada's most 'sensitive' coasts: Northeast Graham Island, British Columbia. Journal of Coastal Research, SI 39: 220-226
Walker, I.J., Barrie, J.V., Dolan, H., Gedalof, Z., Manson, G., Smith, D., Wolfe, S.W. (2007). Coastal vulnerability to climate change and sea-level rise, Northeast Graham Island, Haida Gwaii (Queen Charlotte Islands), British Columbia. CCIAP Project A580 Final Report. Prepared for the Climate Change Impacts and Adaptation Directorate, Natural Resources Canada, Ottawa, ON. 253p
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