Climatic and Environmental Changes Affecting Communities in Atlantic Canada

Liette Vasseur,Steve Plante,Mary Thornbush

doi:10.3390/su9081293

Liette Vasseur, Steve Plante + Show 1 more

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https://doi.org/10.3390/su9081293

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Abstract

Small rural coastal communities located in Atlantic Canada are vulnerable to the effects of climate and environmental changes. Major storms have impounded the coastline, causing much physical damage and affecting the socioeconomics of these communities that are composed of an aging population. The current study relays findings based on interviews completed in 2011–2012, following the 2010 winter storms in Atlantic Canada. It portrays the physical and social–ecological impacts affecting 10 coastal communities located in the provinces of Québec, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island. Semi-structured interviews held in these provinces are the basis for the contributions of this research. The findings reveal physical changes related to coastal erosion from high-wave impacts and storm surge causing flooding of the coastal zone. Also considered are strategies preferred and actually implemented by residents, such as building of protection walls, although undesirable. Due to funding constraints, however, many of these large-scale flood protection projects are not possible without governmental support. Instead, it is suggested that development be controlled and some respondents in this study upheld that relocation be used to alleviate the situation. Finally, more work is required to improve emergency planning. Better concerted short- and long-term responses need to be coordinated by local authorities and higher up in the government in order to ensure the sustainability of these coastal communities.

Highlights

Adaptation strategies are complex to define because of the types of impacts caused by climate change at the landscape level that can be exacerbated by cross-temporal and -spatial environmental changes
This paper examines the physical landscapes that are visible from small rural communities in the provinces of Québec (QC), New Brunswick (NB), and Prince Edward Island (PEI) located in Atlantic Canada
These coastal communities were selected on the basis of their interest to be part of the project; having populations of less than 10,000 inhabitants, and many less than 3000, half of them having been affected by the series of storms in December 2010 and January 2011; and not received prior interventions from governments or institutions regarding climate change adaptation

Summary

Introduction

Adaptation strategies are complex to define because of the types of impacts caused by climate change at the landscape level that can be exacerbated by cross-temporal and -spatial environmental changes For this reason, a well-rounded adaptation effort is required, where multiple impacts are observed or expected. This paper focuses on work performed in Atlantic Canada after a series of storms that occurred in December 2010 and January 2011 to better understand how damage affected communities and what coastline changes were observed and discussed in those communities.

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