What is the Projet Adaptation PA?
The Projet Adaptation PA is an undertaking, an approach, a process...
It’s also people, communities, organizations, etc., that are working and learning together.
The ultimate goal of the project: a plan to reduce current and future impacts of coastal erosion and flooding in all the Acadian Peninsula communities that are at risk.
By following a rigorous process, your community will select solutions that are appropriate for the issues at hand, are good investments and are socially, economically and environmentally acceptable.
Why develop a plan?
- Because prevention costs less than reaction!
- To ensure public safety
- To limit damage from storms
- To ensure our quality of life
- For our economic health
- To ensure the viability of our communities
Why work regionally?
- To share and exchange our knowledge, expertise, experience and resources
- To adopt complementary measures or actions that will not create problems from one community to the next
- To ensure more effectiveness and uniformity both during and after the project in the management and application of measures
- To achieve economies of scale
- To have more credibility and political clout to ensure the success of the project and secure funding.
Adaptation concerns us all
What steps are needed to develop and implement the plan?
The process proposed to the communities at risk in the Acadian Peninsula is as follows:
1) Scenarios and risks
2) Maps and zoning
3) Priorities and potential strategies
4) Evaluation and selection of strategies
5) Implementation plans
To make enlightened choices about the best measures or actions to be taken to limit the risks of damage and risks to human health posed by erosion and flooding, we must know what these risks are. This is the goal of step 1: Scenarios and risks, where flooding and erosion scenarios are developed and the risks to infrastructures evaluated. This step provides a better understanding of current and future phenomena and risks.
Once the scenarios have been developed, a decision must be made as to which ones to plan for. This is the goal of step 2: Maps and zoning. During this step, a working group recommends the scenarios to be used for planning purposes. The delineation of the areas at risk is based on these scenarios. The working group also makes zoning recommendations.
Then, it is possible to identify what is at risk (or at stake) and prioritize the elements at stake based on their human, economic, cultural and environmental importance to the community. This is the goal of step 3: Priorities and potential strategies. A working group identifies and prioritizes elements at stake within the risk areas. It is also during this step that preliminary adaptation strategies are considered.
Step 4: Evaluation and selection of strategies can involve conducting more extensive studies for some of the adaptation measures under consideration, such as technical studies, feasibility evaluations or cost-benefit analyses. Once the pros and cons have been considered, a final decision can be made.
Finally, in Step 5: Implementation plans, the details on when and how the actions to be taken will be implemented are defined.
Several communities have already gone through the initial steps of the process.
SEE PROGRESSION OF THE PROJECT
Communities targeted by the project:
The project targets all municipalities and all local service districts (LSDs) whose territory is adjacent to the shoreline or crossed by a major river.
Caraquet Area: Pokesudie, Bas-Caraquet, Caraquet, Bertrand, Poirier, Maisonnette, Anse-Bleue, Grande-Anse,
Shippagan and Central Peninsula Area: Saint-Simon, Évangéline, Pokemouche, Maltempec, Landry Office, Inkerman Centre, Baie du Petit-Pokemouche, Haut-Shippagan, Pointe-Brûlée, Shippagan, Pointe-Sauvage, Le Goulet
Lamèque-Miscou Area: Savoie-Chiasson, Paroisse de Shippagan-Pointe-Brûlée, Haut-Lamèque, Lamèque, Pointe-Alexandre, Petite-Lamèque, Pointe-Canot, Sainte-Cécile, Miscou, Coteau Road, Pigeon Hill, Cap-Bateau, Sainte-Marie-Saint-Raphael
Tracadie Area: Tracadie
Neguac Area: Neguac, Tabusintac
SEE MAP OF THE COMMUNITIES TARGETED
Who is involved in the project?
The process calls on citizens, scientists, local decision-makers and regional stakeholders.- Forum des maires de la Péninsule acadienne
- New Brunswick Climate Change Secretariat
- Groupe RégeNord
- R J Daigle Enviro
- The towns of Caraquet, Shippagan and Tracadie, the villages of Bas-Caraquet, Bertrand, Grande-Anse, Le Goulet, Sainte-Marie-Saint-Raphaël and Neguac, the local service districts of Anse-Bleue, Cap-Bateau, Pigeon Hill, Pointe-Brûlée and Poirier
- Citizen members of working groups in participating communities
- Comité consultatif sur l’adaptation aux changements climatiques dans la PA
Why have an advisory committee?
The Comité consultatif sur l’adaptation aux changements climatiques dans la Péninsule acadienne was established to create a forum where various stakeholders involved in the project could exchange ideas and views. Its objectives are to:
- Encourage the communities and population of the Acadian Peninsula to commit to and buy into the process of adapting to climate change
- Promote the development of an understanding and a common vision of adaptation to climate change in the region
- Bring about concerted action for the good of the entire region
- Increase the credibility of the adaptation process to make it easier to secure funding and recruit resources (expertise, tools)
Committee mandate
- Represent the opinion of the general public and key stakeholders concerned by climate change adaptation in the Acadian Peninsula
- Make recommendations to the communities (municipalities and LSDs), the Department of Environment and Local Governments, the Acadian Peninsula Regional Service Commission (APRSC), CZRI and any other entity concerned
- Raise awareness among the population and key stakeholders
- Support undertakings to secure funding for adaptation, either initiated by a municipality, the APRSC, the CZRI or any other entity, as needed
Who sits on the advisory committee?
- Citizens and representatives of cities and villages,
- New Brunswick Climate Change Secretariat,
- Forum des maires de la Péninsule acadienne
- Verts Rivages
I want to get involved! How can I become a member of the advisory committee?
Individuals or groups interested in becoming a member need only ask. There are no registration charges or eligibility requirements, a part from interest.
Project funding
To date, the New Brunswick Environmental Trust Fund has put up most of the funding for the Projet Adaptation PA.
Municipalities and other participating organizations contribute some of their employees’ time. Participating citizens are volunteers.
