Transcript Elizabeth Atkinson

Working Together to Respond to Climate Change
Annex I Expert Group Seminar
21-22 March 2005
Adapting to Climate Change:
Canada’s Experience and Approach
Elizabeth Atkinson
Climate Change Impacts and Adaptation Directorate
Natural Resources Canada
The North
Current and Future
Risks of
Climate Change
in Canada
The Prairies
British
Columbia
Atlantic Canada
Ontario and Quebec
Canada
Canada’s Policy Marketplace
From: Making Policy – a Guide to the Federal Government’s Policy Process
by Glen Milne (copyright 2001)
Government of Canada’s Climate Change
Impacts and Adaptation Program 1998-06
1. Funding research and undertaking science
assessment
 increasing focus on adaptation research
 targeting priority areas for decision-making
2. Canadian Climate Impacts and Adaptation
Research Network
 bringing together research and stakeholder
communities
 facilitates regional and sectoral vulnerability
analysis
3. Coordinating of policy analysis and development
 analysis of climate change implications for
existing policies and programs
 recognition that adaptation actions taken
within one region or sector will have
significant implications for others
Canada’s National Adaptation Framework
Federal, Provincial and Territorial government initiative to:
•
help jurisdictions develop individual adaptation strategies
•
identify areas where jurisdictions can work together
Framework elements are:
1. Raise awareness of adaptation
2. Facilitate and strengthen capacity for coordinated action on adaptation
3. Incorporate adaptation into policy and operations
4. Promote and coordinate research on impacts and adaptation
5. Support knowledge-sharing networks
6. Provide methods and tools for adaptation planning
Next steps: Formal agreement on Framework and negotiate implementation
Lessons Learned:
Informing Next-generation Policy 2005>
• Adaptation needs to make the transition from a
science to a policy issue
• Small reach needs to expand
• Knowledge gaps need to be addressed, but can be
accounted for in a risk-based approach
• Adaptation needs to be integrated into government
planning systems
• Partnership and communication are critical
Integrating Expertise, Stakeholders and
Governments
Draft Approach for Impacts and Adaptation
Informed by: Assessments (IPCC, ACIA, National)
Enabled by: National Climate Change Adaptation Framework
- Improve knowledge
and understanding
of risk & resilience
- Expand awareness
- Engage decision-makers
- Train planners
Time
- Build decision tools
-Evaluate adaptation options
- Take Action: implement
policies, programs,
regulations, revise codes, etc.
Constraints to Policy Development that
Need to be Addressed
• Knowledge
– Current and future climate vulnerabilities
– Current and future adaptive capacity
– Timing and rate of climate changes
• Engagement
– Awareness and engagement of key opinion leaders and
planning communities
– Improved interaction between science and applied
decision-making community
• Tools
– Risk assessment methodologies appropriate for sectors,
regions, etc.
– Decision-making and risk managing tools appropriate to
users
– Costing of impacts and adaptation options
– Processes to integrate CC into existing planning systems
(mainstreaming)