Climate Change Adaptation
"Creating a More Resilient Yellowknife: Climate Change Adaptation and Municipal Decision Making" (2006-2007)

Objectives

To develop the necessary tools, capacity and decision-making processes necessary for the City of Yellowknife to systematically address climate change impacts at the community level as they emerge.

Overview

Yellowknife has observed negative impacts on municipal infrastructure, in part attributable to climate change. The City was motivated to engage in a climate change adaptation project to minimize unanticipated costs associated with remediation of future impacts, better understand the risks associated with climate change, and develop capacity within the organization to ensure due diligence in the management of public assets.

The City of Yellowknife recognized additional benefits from undertaking the project in a timely manner. First, the adaptation planning process could be integrated into the City's ongoing capital infrastructure planning process. Second, the adaptation planning process could be aligned with the Government of the Northwest Territories' requirements for accessing gas tax revenues, which provides an additional source of funding for adaptation measures.

The Pembina Institute had previously assisted the City of Yellowknife in developing a Community Energy Plan. The plan included actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. These mitigation strategies complement the City's current efforts to increase its adaptive capacity for managing climate-related risks.

Anticipated Outcomes / Milestones

The Pembina Institute is taking the following actions to help the City of Yellowknife develop an adaptation plan:

• Review existing community planning documents and the desired future for the community.

• Examine current responses to climate change impacts.

• Review the potential risks to the preferred community future.

• Present the most up-to-date climate change scenarios available for the area.

• Examine the scope of possible climate change impacts from these scenarios.

• Determine how best to improve decision-making processes to ensure they are made more effectively and efficiently and remain consistent with the long term vision of the community.

• Ensure the municipality's elected officials, key administrative staff and external stakeholders engaged in and support the process.

• Recommend changes in decision making that reflect best practices and the success criteria established by the stakeholders.

For more information on our climate change programs for municipalities, contact

Jesse Row, P.Eng.

• Director, Sustainable Communities Group
• Email: jesser(at)pembina.org
  Phone: 403-269-3344 Ext. 110