Adaptation Planning
Case Study: Greater Vancouver Regional District, BC
About the Case Study
Community Context
Climate-related Changes
Community Impacts
Adaptation Actions
More Information
About the Case Study
In 2006 the Canadian Climate Impacts and Adaptation Research Network (C-CIARN) prepared a report, Adapting to Climate Change: An Introduction for Canadian Municipalities, to introduce local governments to issues and challenges related to adapting to climate change. The document presents selected examples to demonstrate how Canadian communities are starting to address climate change adaptation. This summary is based on an example in Adapting to Climate Change: An Introduction for Canadian Municipalities, and draws on other resources listed at the end of this document.
Community Context
The Greater Vancouver Regional District (GVRD) has a population of over 2,116,581 people (2006 Census) and is located at the mouth of the Fraser River in southwest British Columbia. Much of the GVRD is actually built on the delta where the river meets the ocean. Stormwater management in this urban region has large affects on the local river and ocean ecology. The urban areas can also be affected by changes in the quantity and quality of streamflow in the Fraser River.
Climate-related Changes
Increasing Air Temperature
Projected climate change1 for the City of Vancouver predicts that both extreme cool and warm temperatures will increase by approximately 1.0 to 2.8°C for the 2050s. This provides an indication of changes that may occur in the GVRD as a whole.
Changes in Precipitation
Projected climate change1 for the City of Vancouver predicts that annual rainfall could increase by up to 10% and spring precipitation could increase by as much as 20% for the 2050s period. This provides an indication of changes that may occur in the GVRD as a whole.
Community Impacts
Degraded Environmental Quality and Localized Flooding
Increasing precipitation in the GVRD puts higher demand on stormwater infrastructure. Exceeding stormwater infrastructure capacity can have negative effects on local riparian ecology in the Fraser River.
Adaptation Actions
In 2002 the GVRD, its municipalities, and provincial and federal environmental agencies formed the Stormwater Interagency Liaison Group (SILG) to facilitate the coordination and sharing of common research related to stormwater management. One of the primary results of this approach has been the creation of a template for Integrated Stormwater Management Plans (ISMPs), which are watershed-specific, flexible and adaptive strategies. The ISMP goal is to develop effective stormwater plans that will result in no net loss to environmental quality and protect communities from localized flooding.
More Information
Adapting to Climate Change: An Introduction for Canadian Municipalities
Other Resources
More information on stormwater management in the GVRD.
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