SEA LEVEL RISE ADAPTATION PRIMER A TOOLKIT TO BUILD ADAPTIVE CAPACITY ON CANADA’s south coASTS JANUARY 2013 PREPARED BY: PREPARED FOR: Arlington Group Planning + Architecture Inc. British Columbia Ministry of Environment EBA Engineering Consultants Ltd. DE Jardine Consulting Sustainability Solutions Group DE Jardine Consulting planning + architecture This project was made possible with financial support from Natural Resources Canada’s Regional Adaptation Collaborative program, the Province of British Columbia, the Atlantic Climate Adaptation Solutions Association and the Adaptation to Climate Change Team at Simon Fraser University. Atlantic Climate Adaptation Solutions Association Solutions d'adaptation aux changements climatiques pour l'Atlantique Photo 1 (top left): Seawall in Dothan, Alabama, accelerates erosion on adjacent properties (Photo Credit: Advanced Coastal Technologies). Photo 2 (bottom): Lameque, N.B. (Photo from New Brunswick Coastal Areas Protection Policy). Photo 3 (top right): Cottage at Pugwash, N.S. (Photo Credit T. Webster). Photo 4 (middle right): Parlee Beach, N.B. (Photo Credit D. Jardine). SEA LEVEL RISE ADAPT ATION PRIMER PAGE | I TABLE OF CONTENTS Executive Summary ................................................................................................................................................... iv Acknowledgements.................................................................................................................................................. viii Introduction .................................................................................................................................................................1 Background Sea Level Rise .......................................................................................................................................3 Historical Changes ..................................................................................................................................................3 Projected Increases in Sea Level ...........................................................................................................................5 Storm Surge ............................................................................................................................................................7 Coastal Sensitivity ...................................................................................................................................................8 Adaptation and Mitigation .......................................................................................................................................9 Study Area ............................................................................................................................................................... 11 British Columbia ................................................................................................................................................... 11 Quebec ................................................................................................................................................................. 12 New Brunswick ..................................................................................................................................................... 14 Nova Scotia .......................................................................................................................................................... 15 Prince Edward Island ........................................................................................................................................... 17 Newfoundland and Labrador ................................................................................................................................ 17 Atlantic Canada .................................................................................................................................................... 18 Framework for Decision Making .............................................................................................................................. 19 Sea Level Rise Adaptation Framework ................................................................................................................... 23 Information Gathering .......................................................................................................................................... 25 Public Education and Community Engagement .................................................................................................. 28 Adaptation Tools .................................................................................................................................................. 30 Planning Tools ..................................................................................................................................................... 33 Regulatory Tools .................................................................................................................................................. 48 Land Use Change or Restriction Tools ................................................................................................................ 62 Structural (Flood Protection Works) ..................................................................................................................... 77 Non-Structural (Soft Armouring) .......................................................................................................................... 93 Discussion ............................................................................................................................................................. 102 SEA LEVEL RISE ADAPT ATION PRIMER PAGE | II Other Adaptation (non-Local Government) Responses ..................................................................................... 104 Discussion .......................................................................................................................................................... 110 The Cost of SLR and Adaptation ........................................................................................................................... 117 Funding Projects Related to Sea Level Rise in Canada. ................................................................................... 118 Funding Programs in Other Countries ............................................................................................................... 120 Appendix A – Acronyms ........................................................................................................................................ 122 Appendix B – Glossary .......................................................................................................................................... 123 Appendix C – Primer Options ................................................................................................................................ 128 Appendix D - Legislative Matrices ......................................................................................................................... 134 Appendix E – Quebec, Municipality of Îles-de-la-Madeleine Zoning ..................................................................... 139 Appendix F - Atlantic Canada Municipal Polices and Bylaws ............................................................................... 142 Annotated Bibliography ......................................................................................................................................... 151 Bibliography ........................................................................................................................................................... 184 TABLE OF FIGURES Photo 1 - Erosion of Graves on Southern Vancouver Island (Photo Credit Hay & Company Consultants Inc.)........2 Figure 1 - Global Mean Sea Level 1870-2003 ...........................................................................................................3 Photo 2 - 18th Century Mooring Ring at Fortress of Louisbourg (Photo Credit Ambrose MacNeil) ............................4 Figure 2 - Global Sea Level Rise Projections (shaded area) and Reccomended Sea Level Rise Planning Curve (red line) for B.C. (Ausenco Sandwell, 2011) .............................................................................................................6 Figure 3 - Sea Level Rise Allowance for Structure Lifespan (Ausenco Sandwell, 2011) ...........................................7 Photo 3 -Dec. 21, 2010 Storm Surge at Lorneville, N.S. (Photo Credit Steve Ferguson) ..........................................8 Figure 4 - Coastal Sensitivity to Sea Level Rise - Natural Resources Canada..........................................................9 Figure 5 - Map of Canadian Provinces (Source: Natural Resources Canada) ....................................................... 11 Figure 6 - Quebec Administrative Regions (source: Banque d'images en univers social)...................................... 13 Box 1 - Anecdote from Sept-Iles Quebec ................................................................................................................ 14 Photo 4 - Lameque, N.B. (Photo from New Brunswick Coastal Areas Protection Policy) ...................................... 15 Photo 5 - Cottage at Pugwash, N.S. (Photo Credit T. Webster) ............................................................................