| Abstract/Description or Keywords |
This strategy is the culmination of a 2 year long case study that is part of the British Columbia Regional Adaptation Collaborative (RAC). It is one of over 20 projects taking place in BC that are funded by Natural Resources Canada. The BC RAC is linked with RACs taking place in other regions across Canada, with an objective of helping communities and industries adapt to a changing climate. The Cariboo Regional District (CRD) is initiating a Regional Development Strategy (RDS) in the near future, based on what is legally referred to as a Regional Growth Strategy (RGS). The RDS will take up to 5 years to develop, and the strategy will outline a plan for development looking forward over the next 20 years. The CRD was invited to participate in the RAC project, with the hopes of assessing how a rural, interior regional district is adapting to climate change. Given the intent of initiating a RDS in the near future, the CRD agreed to participate. Fraser Basin Council worked with CRD staff and designed the RAC project as a climate change adaptation strategy (“the strategy”) to help to create a RDS that helps the region plan for the medium-term by incorporating the projected long-term climate scenarios. As part of the strategy, key lessons learned will be shared that other regional districts can apply as they begin considering climate change adaptation into their own plans and strategies. The strategy focuses on how the CRD, including its member municipalities, can effectively adapt to climate change. The strategy looks at the 30-70 year horizon, and uses a variety of quantitative climate change scenarios to assess future conditions to inform an adaptation strategy. The intent is to incorporate the strategy into the RDS as it is developed over the next few years. The strategy will help to apply a climate change adaptation lens at the beginning of the RDS process. |
