A two-year climate adaptation program is underway to create usable guidance and resources for Canadian water utilities and water management professionals, as they plan to build resilience in the face of an unpredictable climate future.
Natural Resources Canada is supporting the $1.1-million Climate Change Adaptation Program, led by the Canadian Water Network (CWN), which will draw on international best practices from leading jurisdictions in climate adaptation and enhance access to adaptation resources, tools, and approaches by convening professional networks nationally and internationally to foster peer to peer learning.
CWN formed a National Steering Committee composed of municipal, watershed, academic and project partner representatives to advise on adaptation and integration principles. In October 2024, CWN held the project’s first in-person workshop with the steering committee in Montreal to discuss knowledge gaps, the needs of Canadian urban municipalities, and the direction they would like to see the project take.
“Building resiliency and safeguarding communities and infrastructure from inherently unpredictable climate impacts is a priority for water utilities,” announced Chief Executive Officer of CWN, Nicola Crawhall. “With support from NRCan, we are supporting water leaders in developing adaptive planning pathways to prepare for a range of future risks.”
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The project will also leverage retrospective pilot and case studies applying adaptive planning methods to municipal water infrastructure and management plans to refine and tailor guidance for Canadian municipal water utility professionals.
CWN conducted a series of interviews in fall 2024 with water utility leaders from across Canada to understand the existing water and wastewater master planning landscape. CWN learned that the top planning drivers in Canadian communities are:
- Growth and development
- Regulations, including environmental requirements and growth or development requirements
- Risk management associated with aging infrastructure and climate change impacts.
The project will also convene a National Community of Practice comprising Canadian municipal water utility leaders (starting in early 2025 through mid-2026), that will allow for members to learn, discuss and share lessons learned on integrating adaptive planning principles to regional and organization-specific contexts, as well as develop relevant knowledge products.
Project partners for the climate adaptation project include the City of Calgary, the City of Ottawa, Metro Vancouver, the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, GHD, Halton Region, CRD, Toronto Metropolitan University, Conservation Halton, and the Water Services Association of Australia.
