Climate Change Adaptation

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The Climate Resilient Edmonton: Adaptation Strategy and Action Plan focuses on understanding the climate impacts we are already experiencing and how they may shift in the future due to ongoing climate change. The Strategy looks at what this means for our community and provides insight into how we can build resilience for those impacts.

Climate Resilient Edmonton: Adaptation Strategy and Action Plan

Adaptation refers to lowering the risks and negative impacts of a changing climate so that communities and ecosystems are prepared to cope with the new climate conditions. It also encourages us to embrace potential opportunities that may come with a changing climate.

Seasonal Changes

Climate models show that as the climate warms, the four seasons in Edmonton will be different from what we have experienced in the past.

Spring Climate Change Projections
Summer Climate Change Projections
Autumn Climate Change Projections
Winter Climate Change Projections

Take Action at Home

The Action Plan identifies actions you can do to adapt to a changing climate.

Change Homes for Climate Guide

Tips for homeowners to retrofit the inside and outside of their homes to be prepared for a changing climate and to reduce energy use.

Change Habits for Climate Guide

Tips for renters and homeowners on how to adapt to a changing climate and reduce energy use.

Climate Resilient Home

A virtual home to help you prepare the interior and exterior of your home for a changing climate.

Preparing for Climate Change

Being climate prepared includes understanding what climate hazards to expect, how to mitigate hazards and how to respond to an emergency.

Install a Rain Garden

A rain garden can help to reduce flood risk.

Homeowner’s Guide to Lot Grading and Drainage

How to identify problems and maintain your home’s drainage system.

Learn More

Edmonton's Climate Change Almanac

Explore Edmonton's Climate Change Almanac to learn how Edmonton’s climate is changing

Climate Conversations Teachers Guide

A teacher's guide to climate adaptation and resilience in Edmonton, providing thought-provoking questions and critical thinking activities.

Air Quality

Learn about air quality monitoring, the air quality health index for the Edmonton region and actions you can take to improve our air.

Green Leagues: Adapting to Climate Change

Community leagues learn about climate trends, preparing for extreme weather events and climate actions.

A Tiny Explanation - Climate Change Adaptation

Short videos and infographics about changing temperatures, precipitation and extreme weather.

Residential Lot Grading

Lot grading is important for controlling stormwater runoff and overland flooding.

Programs and Grants

Citizen Science

Help scientists collect data and delve deeper into environmental programs!

Flood Prevention at Home

Visit EPCOR’s Flood Prevention Homeowner Programs to book a home check-up and/or apply for a subsidy to install a backwater valve.

Climate Innovation Fund

This grant program supports projects that reduce GHG emissions in the community.

Research Grants

Research grants to help advance knowledge about how Edmonton can become an energy sustainable and climate resilient city.

Background

The Climate Resilient Edmonton: Adaptation Strategy and Action Plan was developed to help the city prepare for the impacts of climate change and protect the community, infrastructure and services. Working with the advice of Edmontonians, the strategy suggests actions to make Edmonton resilient to the effects of climate change.

Beginning in 2016, the City and various stakeholders worked together to develop the strategy. Climate Resilient Edmonton was presented to the Executive Committee of City Council in November 2018. Implementation began soon after.

Taking Action: 2018 to Present

Implementing actions within the strategy and action plan are ongoing.

Setting Direction: 2017 to 2018

The results of an Edmonton-specific climate risk and vulnerability assessment led to numerous workshops with stakeholders and subject matter experts to further distill and refine the information.

Edmonton’s academic, business, public institution and government communities came together to discuss the climate risks and vulnerabilities facing Edmonton and opportunities and risks the city should prepare for. Through 10 themed workshops, 17 assets and service areas were considered in relation to climate hazards (such as extreme heat, extreme cold, hail, and so on). At the 10 workshops, conversations and ideas presented by participants were captured by a graphic artist, each of which is presented here.

Air and Fuel Supply Graphic Summary

Buildings and Waste Graphic Summary

Economy and Culture Graphic Summary

Electricity and Information/CommunicationGraphic Summary

Emergency Management Graphic Summary

Natural Environment Graphic Summary

Public Health Graphic Summary

Roads, transportation and Rail Graphic Summary

Urban Agriculture and Food Graphic Summary

Water Graphic Summary

Investigation: 2016 to 2017

Before the City could begin to develop a strategy, it needed to better understand how Edmonton's climate is changing, as well as the risks and opportunities these changes present for the community. To support this understanding, the following research reports were commissioned.

Related Reports

Paper 1: Economics and Finance

Paper 2: Agriculture and Food

Paper 3: Urban Ecosystems

Paper 4: Transformational Adaptation

Paper 5: Transportation Infrastructure

Paper 6: Water and Sanitation

Paper 7: Energy and Information and Communications Technology

Paper 8: Built Environment

Paper 9: Emergency Management

Research and Strategies to Support Implementation

Together, Edmonton’s Energy Transition Strategy and Climate Resilient Edmonton: Adaptation Strategy and Action Plan will move us closer to becoming a climate resilient city.

Edmonton’s Energy Transition Strategy
First released in 2015, the strategy is being updated to accelerate efforts to become a low-carbon city.

This accelerated effort will lead to lowering the creation and release of greenhouse gas emissions and an increased reliance upon renewable energy for heating and fuelling purposes.

Climate Resilient Edmonton: Adaptation Strategy and Action Plan
Presented in 2018, the action plan identifies a number of pathways for Edmonton to adapt to a changing climate.

Glossary and Terms

Climate Change Glossary

Energy and Climate Change Relevant Terms

Changing Ecosystems

The City is committed to science-based decision-making. In 2018-19, municipalities across the region worked together to identify topics of shared interest for research. All One Sky has the reports and research on invasive species and urban forest management.

Review the Research

Green Roofs

As the climate warms, we'll be feeling the heat. Concrete buildings and pavement hold heat, creating a “heat island effect” where urbanized areas are warmer than their surrounding rural counterparts. This is especially felt downtown. Plants are an effective way to moderate the temperature, serve as insulation from heat or cold and can slow the flow of heavy rain.

The City has worked with the Miistakis Institute and project funders to determine the suitability of green roofs in our city.

Review the Research

Communities and Climate Change

Researchers from the City of Edmonton’s CitiesIPCC Legacy Research Grant Program discuss how changes in the daily life of our communities can help lessen the impact of climate change.

This Idea Talk features:

Shelby Yamamoto from University of Alberta with their project, Climate Change, Older Adults & Immigrants: Exploring Community Vulnerability & Resilience
Vincent Morales from the Pembina Institute with their project, Urban Transport Partnerships: Last Mile Solutions & Electrification

Modelling Climate Change

Researchers from the City of Edmonton’s CitiesIPCC Legacy Research Grant Program share different ways scientists are modelling climate change scenarios.

This Idea Talk features:

Dr. Dave Sauchyn and Dr. Soumik Basu from the University of Regina, with their project, High-Resolution Climate Change Projections for the City of Edmonton: Modelling Extreme Events & Uncertainty
Dr. Tae J. Kwon and Dr. Karim El-Basyouny from the University of Alberta with their project, Fire Risk Modelling

For More Information

Environment and Climate Resilience

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Climate Change Adaptation

Related Reports

Glossary and Terms

Changing Ecosystems

Green Roofs

Communities and Climate Change

Modelling Climate Change

Related Links

All One Sky Foundation

Change for Climate

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Environment and Climate Resilience