Climate Change Adaptation Plan

The Township of Langley will develop an Adaption Plan to reduce the Township’s vulnerability to climate change impacts using the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI) Building Adaptive and Resilient Communities (BARC) Framework.Climate change represents a serious risk to the social, economic and environmental sustainability of the Township of Langley. Since joining FCM’s PCP program in 2001, the Town has made significant efforts to mitigate climate change; however, the next stage is to take an in-depth look at the specific risks climate change poses to the future operations and to the community through adaptation planning. When an impact of climate change, such as damage to infrastructure from flooding, occurs, it is not strictly a physical impact – it will create change in social systems (decreasing safety and causing psychological stress), endanger neighbouring urban ecological systems as well as economic costs. In alignment with the Township’s Sustainability Charter, these triple-bottom line considerations should integrated and planned for through climate change adaptation planning. There are five key elements in the Climate Change Adaptation Plan development process: 1. Current Conditions Assessment; 2. Climate Science Report; 3. Defining Impact Statements and Identifying Service Areas; 4. Vulnerability Assessment; 5. Risk Assessment. To guide the Adaption Plan process, the ICLEI’s BARC Framework comprises:• First a research to assess the degree to which the Township’s physical, social, economic and natural systems are coping with existing weather and climate stressors. This will include the development of a Natural Asset Inventory to map out significant natural areas and environmental features that provide crucial ecosystem services. This assessment will determine whether protecting and/or enhancing these natural assets could improve the resilience to climate change, and which assets might be most vulnerable to changing weather patterns. The research phase will also include climate science projections, and both Vulnerability and Risk Assessments to focus the planning efforts. • Next, an Adaptation Plan will be developed through a series of stakeholder workshops. To ensure the Plan incorporates all viewpoints, and that operational needs are considered, workshops will have the participation from a dedicated staff Adaptation Team, adaptation consultants, Council Advisory Committees, and external groups such as NGOs and health authorities. There will be also a public engagement component along with a high-level implementation and monitoring strategy to ensure metrics are tracked and goals are met. A Climate Change Adaptation Plan will strengthen the resilience of the environment and farmland, improve the wellbeing of the community, and protect Township-owned infrastructure and assets. This plan is an essential next step for the Township to ensure the sustainability of the community is maintained and enhanced for future generations.