The North Shore Sea Level Rise Assessment & Adaptive Management Strategy focuses on the unceded lands of Coast Salish First Nations (North Shore of Metro Vancouver). Similarly to most coastal regions, sea level rise is a major concern for this area. This strategy is a collaborative process with the District of North Vancouver, District of West Vancouver, Sḵwx̱wú7mesh – Squamish Nation, City of North Vancouver, North Shore Emergency Management Office, and Vancouver Fraser Port Authority. The purpose of this climate risk assessment is to prepare for, manage, and appropriately respond to identified risks associated with sea level rise hazards across the North Shore. The importance of building resilience in all North Shore municipalities mentioned above, Sḵwx̱wú7mesh – Squamish Nation, and Port Authority is highlighted throughout the assessment (KWL, 2020).
This assessment uses a variety of approaches, starting with a bottom-up approach, which highlights and uses the skills and experiences of stakeholders and community members to develop the climate change risk assessment, rather than using a top-down approach which can be performed as a desktop study using data and literature rather than engaging with stakeholders to gather information from their experiences and expertise (CCME). Sea level rise has the potential to impact communities along the North Shore in a variety of different ways. In this climate risk assessment, a bottom-up approach was emphasized as extremely important due to the ability to build community awareness of sea level rise risks, foster informed community input, reflect community values in the approach, and ensure that the community is ready to move forward with additional stages of adaptation planning and implementation (KWL, 2020).
A qualitative risk assessment was conducted using coastal flood consequence assessment results from the following sectors: social services, environment, culture and heritage, buildings and infrastructure, economy, and transportation. A qualitative approach uses non-scientific data such as local knowledge, whereas a quantitative approach uses scientific data such as modelled climate projections. Qualitative approaches are typically easier for stakeholders to contribute and participate in, which is why it works well with this specific assessment that is heavily community based (CCME, 2021).
The approach is considered tightly scoped, as it focuses on a theme- sea level rise. Alternatively, a comprehensive approach would look at multiple climatic parameters or multiple thematic areas. In order for the assessment to be considered comprehensive, it would need to look at a larger number of flood scenarios across different sea level rise time horizons (CCME, 2021).
The approaches chosen for this climate change risk assessment related to sea level rise accomplishes what the authors and contributors set out to accomplish. A bottom-up, qualitative, tightly scoped approach offers a greater chance to connect with community and stakeholders and include their lived experiences in the process to build awareness initially and implement strategies later in the process.
References
Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment (CCME). (2021). Guidance on Good Practices in Climate Change Risk Assessment. https://ccme.ca/en/res/riskassessmentguidancesecured.pdf
KWL (Kerr Wood Leidal- Consulting Engineers). (2020). North Sore Sea Level Rise Risk Assessment & Adaptive Management Strategy. Draft Report. https://www.dnv.org/sites/default/files/edocs/draft-north-shore-sea-level-rise-strategy.pdf