Adaptation Planning

Case Study: Kimberley, BC

About the Case Study
Community Context
Climate-related Changes
Community Impacts
Adaptation Actions
More Information

About the Case Study

In 2008 the City of Kimberley was selected by the Columbia Basin Trust (CBT) to pilot a one-year community learning, engagement and planning process on climate change adaptation. The current plan involves a three stage process beginning with community learning on climate change predictions for Kimberley and area, identification of key sensitivities, and selection of priority focus areas for local climate adaptation planning. The project aims to develop a climate adaptation report and recommendations for the City of Kimberley. This summary is based on information on the City of Kimberley’s website and draws on other resources listed at the end of this document.

Community Context

Kimberley has a population of 6,139 people (2006 Census) and is located in the south eastern corner of British Columbia just north of the U.S. Border. The City has a tourism based economy focussed largely on local outdoor recreation opportunities including hiking, golfing, and skiing. The City also hosts several annual festivals and events.

Climate-related Changes

Increasing Air Temperature
It is expected that temperatures in Kimberley will increase by approximately 2 to 3°C in summer and in winter.

Changes in Precipitation
For the Columbia Basin, in which Kimberley is located, summer precipitation is expected to decrease by 4% to 10% while winter precipitation is expected to increase by 1% to 13%. The annual total is expected to increase by 3% to 10%.

Decreasing Spring Snowpack
Snowpack is expected to be reduced by up to 20%.

Community Impacts

Kimberley distributed a community survey and hosted two community workshops to discuss the potential impacts of climate change. Participants in this process identified a focussed list of priorities. The following is a summary of the results of that process.

Municipal Infrastructure
Climate change can have a large impact on municipal infrastructure which, in turn, impacts local residents. In Kimberley, elements that may be affected include: water & sewage systems, roads, buildings, park & recreation facilities, and demands on emergency preparedness resources.

Tourism
Kimberley’s tourism-based economy will be affected by climate change. On the positive side, increased temperatures and decreased precipitation in summer may help attract more tourists to the area. Numbers of tourists may decrease in winter if temperatures increase and the snowpack is reduced. Overall, recreation opportunities will shift with changes in climate and careful attention will have to be paid to visitor’s health, safety, and emergency preparedness.

Water
Climate change may have a significant impact on water. In Kimberley, these impacts may include flooding and drought related to water supply, deterioration of water quality and associated health risks, and damage to aquatic ecology.

Adaptation Actions

Kimberley has identified a preliminary list of “no regrets” actions that address existing vulnerabilities and increase community preparedness for future climate change. “No regret” actions bring benefits whether or not there are climate change impacts. These include the following items:

Consider future climate in municipal infrastructure assessment;
Develop an evacuation plan for tourists to prepare for potential increased occurrences of natural disasters such as wildfires;
Examine opportunities to reduce water consumption through residential water conservation programs and assessing the potential to use grey water for golf courses;
Consider options to develop better flood control systems;
Install a local meteorological station to provide climate related information.
Improve the City’s general emergency preparedness provisions; and
Consider municipal tree planting to help moderate climate extremes.

More Information

Kimberley Climate Change Adaptation Project
This summary draws on the Kimberley Climate Change Adaptation Project.

Communities Adapting to Climate Change Initiative
This initiative, coordinated by Columbia Basin Trust, is building capacity at the local level to address climate change impacts and develop innovative adaptation strategies.