NWT Climate Change Adaptation Forum and Charrette

The Northwest Territories Association of Communities (NWTAC) will develop a Climate Change Adaptation Plan to address vulnerability and respond to concerns of the Northern communities.The NWTAC is proposing to host a Climate Change Adaptation Forum and Charrette (the Forum). The goal of the Forum is to develop a community-centred territory-wide strategic and collaborative approach to adaptation. Community vulnerability will be reduced through peer to peer learning, networking and the strategic partnerships that are formed at the Forum that will lead to climate change action. This approach will bring together communities and various climate change partners, including indigenous, territorial and federal governments and organizations, researchers, funders, and NGOs. The methodology includes the following elements:• 33 communities in the NWT will be invited to attend the Forum, providing them funding for travel and accommodations; given the fiscal reality community governments face, experience in the area has shown that there would be little to no participation without this support; • Communities who are actively involved in climate change adaptation will play a leadership role by showcasing the very best examples of processes and practices;• Organizations and communities that have developed tools and resources that support climate change action will share this information directly with participants and, in some cases, provide a demonstration of tools and technologies;• Funders, researchers, and other organizations that support climate change projects will be encouraged to engage in discussions with community representatives in a project incubator-type environment that will lead to development of shared community "game-plans" to approach next steps to reduce community vulnerability;• Invitations will be extended to other northern jurisdictions to ensure that opportunities for peer-learning is explored across jurisdictions;• Tried and true strategies and formats used at similar gatherings (e.g. NWTAC annual general meetings) to engage Forum attendees, facilitate active participation and discussion, and ensure that meaningful connections are being made;• The charrette component will allow Forum participants to strategize together about how to move the agenda forward in a way to best support communities;• Input from the Forum and Charrette to develop a collaborative Climate Change Strategy and Associated Action Plan as the culmination of this Forum;• A Forum Report will be widely available and will include a summary of Forum proceedings, copies of all presentations, participant contact information to facilitate ongoing networking, and a Smart Management Practices resource that presents successful community initiatives to address climate change challenges;• An optional session on climate change mitigation will follow the same format as the main Forum, including sharing stories of successful initiatives, peer to peer learning and networking, and bringing together funders, researchers, governments and other organizations to network, create synergies and develop plans to collaborate.This project aligns with and supports current territorial initiatives. By bringing their priorities and concerns forward at the Forum, communities will be heard by all levels of government as well as other partners (researchers, funders, NGOs, etc.). The Forum presents governments and other organizations that are developing climate change strategies, actions plans, policies and programs with the opportunity to apply what they hear to make these initiatives more effective in addressing the challenges communities face. Participating government departments, funders and other organizations will take away a clear sense of community priorities and the role they can play to support communities and address capacity gaps.