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Adapting to Floods

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Adapting to Floods Adapting to Flooding An Adapt-action Summary Report Updated July, 2015 adaptaction.ca www.adaptaction.ca Adapting to Floods A Summary Report from Adapt-action – An Online Tool to Help Alberta Municipalities Become More Climate Resilient July 2015 Prepared by the Miistakis Institute Miistakis Institute Rm U271, Mount Royal University 4825 Mount Royal Gate SW Calgary, AB T3E 6K6 Phone: (403) 440-8444 Email: [email protected] Web: www.rockies.ca Adapting to Floods – Summary Report 1 Table of Contents INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................. 6! THE ADAPT-ACTION TOOL .................................................................................................. 6! What is the Adapt-action tool .................................................................................................................... 6! Who is the tool for? .................................................................................................................................... 7! Why are we talking about climate change adaptation? ........................................................................ 7! How do we deal with scientific uncertainty? .......................................................................................... 8! What is an Ecosystem-based Approach to climate change? .................................................................. 9! BUILDING RESILIENCY TO FLOODING ............................................................................. 11! Building Climate Resiliency ..................................................................................................................... 11! ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGES/EFFECTS ............................................................................ 12! Temperature ............................................................................................................................................. 13! Precipitation .............................................................................................................................................. 14! Available moisture ................................................................................................................................... 15! Growing degree days ................................................................................................................................ 16! Stream flow ............................................................................................................................................... 17! Glacier area ............................................................................................................................................... 18! Wetlands .................................................................................................................................................... 18! IMPLICATIONS ................................................................................................................... 20! Agriculture ................................................................................................................................................. 20! Impacts to crop yield (and cropping systems) .............................................................................................. 20! Livestock health may be impacted by decreased water quality ................................................................. 23! Damage to infrastructure impacts agricultural operations and businesses ............................................. 25! Pastureland may become unfit for grazing ................................................................................................... 28! Soils may be subjected to erosion, nutrient leaching and changes in salinity .......................................... 30! Water quality may decrease impacting livestock production and irrigation ............................................. 32! Adapting to Floods – Summary Report 2 Human Health ........................................................................................................................................... 35! Disruption of health services .......................................................................................................................... 35! Increased risk of chemical exposure from leaching, ruptured chemical infrastructure ......................... 36! Increased risk of vector-borne diseases ........................................................................................................ 38! Health risks associated with living in post flood conditions ........................................................................ 40! Mental health impacts to communities ......................................................................................................... 42! Increased risk of injury, trauma and drowning ............................................................................................. 43! Impacts on surface water and risk of waterborne illness ........................................................................... 46! Recreation ................................................................................................................................................. 49! Disruption to fishing activities due to temporary decrease in fish populations ....................................... 49! Damage of Recreational Infrastructure ......................................................................................................... 51! Closure of recreation areas ............................................................................................................................. 53! Decreased Recreational Water Quality .......................................................................................................... 55! Aesthetic damage to recreational areas ........................................................................................................ 57! Infrastructure ........................................................................................................................................... 60! Accelerated deterioration in the function and longevity of water treatment infrastructure .................. 60! Premature weathering and damage to building infrastructure ................................................................. 62! Premature weathering and damage to bridges ............................................................................................ 64! Damage to energy and communications networks ..................................................................................... 66! Weathering and failure of storm water and drainage infrastructure ........................................................ 68! Premature weathering, wash outs and decreased service life of roads .................................................... 71! Biodiversity ............................................................................................................................................... 74! Degradation of riparian habitats .................................................................................................................... 74! Increased risk of water contamination .......................................................................................................... 76! Increases in the variability of water flow ....................................................................................................... 78! Temporary Disturbance to Fish Populations ................................................................................................. 81! STRATEGIES AND ACTIONS ............................................................................................... 84! Climate-proof municipal plans ............................................................................................................... 84! Update Sustainability Plans to reflect climate change ................................................................................. 85! Create climate-resilient land use zones ......................................................................................................... 85! Undertake scenario planning for recreation and tourism infrastructure ................................................. 86! Undertake scenario planning for economic development .......................................................................... 87! Adjust master drainage plans to accommodate climate change ............................................................... 87! Update Municipal Development Plans to reflect climate change ............................................................... 88! Coordinate with regional Integrated Watershed Management Plans ....................................................... 89! Undertake scenario planning for emergency response .............................................................................. 89! Develop comprehensive flood management plans ..................................................................................... 90! Promote flood-resilient design and development ................................................................................ 92! Minimize development in flood plains, floodways ....................................................................................... 92! Ensure planning and development activities consider climate change projections ...............................
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