P.E.I. municipalities take part in project to address risks of climate change
'I think resilience requires an all-of-society approach'
Charlottetown, Stratford and Summerside are taking part in a project to help them prepare for climate change and extreme weather on P.E.I.
The project is being put on by a non-government organization called Quest and includes workshops and discussions on what the potential local risks and vulnerabilities are for communities on the Atlantic seaboard.
"I think resilience requires an all-of-society approach," said Eddie Oldfield, senior lead for projects and advisory services with the Quest.
The aim is for municipalities to be able to more effectively address and reduce potential risk on both people and property in communities across the Island.
Being prepared
While local government plays a key role in ensuring access to essential services — being prepared for potential "bad days" is also the responsibility of residents of a community as well, Oldfield said.
Things like recent erosion analysis conducted along the Island's shore and flood risk mapping are key elements to preparing for what things could look like in 50 years, Oldfield said.
"So they are starting to work with the municipal sector to reduce the risk of erosion along the coastline by preventing certain types of developments, having certain setbacks and providing guidance essentially to builders and homeowners how to reduce risk," Oldfield said.
Assessments and recommendations
Workshops took place in Summerside and Charlottetown earlier this week. Another workshop is set to happen in Stratford next week.
The workshops will allow Quest to assess the communities, their climate change readiness, and identify their strengths and weaknesses.
Following the project, the organization will create a list of recommendations the municipalities could implement.
The project is funded by Natural Resources Canada as part of Canada's Climate Change Adaptation Platform.
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With files by Stephanie Kelly