A recent report by University of British Columbia Master of Arts (Planning) candidate, Tina Barisky, finds that addressing the rising sea levels caused by climate change requires a different approach from some of the more usual planning issues.
Vancouver was named the world’s 11th coastal city most vulnerable to sea level rise by a study published in the Nature Climate Change journal.
“[Vancouver] has a large and wealthy population in a low-lying floodplain area with relatively low-protection standard dikes,” said Professor Robert Nicholls, co-author of the study, in an email to the National Post.
A presentation to Vancouver city council stated that sea levels may rise by 0.4 metres to 1.4 metres by 2100. Projections show much of the False Creek Flats from Science World to Main Street may be underwater by 2100.
Barisky finds that effective climate change communication incorporates four key principles: 1) communication must appeal to shared values, 2) be grounded in local impacts, 3) focus on solutions, and 4) offer the community a chance to take meaningful action.
The report “provides a set of ideas and a framework that the City [of Vancouver] can use as a roadmap for its engagement strategy,” Barisky noted.
The report suggests that the city create a webpage with visual tools that would demonstrate the impacts of sea level rise in Vancouver, list community events focused on local impacts, and highlight social media channels to update residents on the planning process specific to their neighbourhoods.
Vancouver is not the only city looking for innovative ways to engage its residents about rising sea levels. Residents of communities along Chesapeake Bay, Maryland, were invited to view digital maps of forecasted sea level rise.
The maps showed several neighbourhoods would be under sea level by 2050. The city of Rotterdam used three-dimensional simulations of malfunctional dykes during its public workshops.
In New York City, the HighWaterLine project used street chalk to mark areas less than ten feet above sea level, regions that may have a one in four chance of flooding by 2080.
The City of Vancouver already has several initiatives under way. In 2012, the City became the first first Canadian municipality to adopt a Climate Change Adaptation Strategy. The strategy is based on the Local Governments for Sustainability (ICLEI) planning framework.
In 2014, city council adopted several amendments to the building bylaw in response to the increased risk of flood damage, including raising the level of construction for new homes built within the flood plains.
Barisky’s report adds to the continued efforts of UBC research initiatives to advance climate change research and identify mitigation and adaptation options in urban environments.
By Jenny Tan
14 April, 2016