Climate-Resilient Coastal Communities

Description

The program funds integrated regional-scale pilot projects on Canada’s three marine coasts – Atlantic, Pacific, and North – and in the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence region to: enhance the climate resilience of coastal communities and businesses; develop and coordinate innovative adaptation actions to reduce climate change risks; work collaboratively on systems-based adaptation approaches; and develop guidance that can be implemented in other coastal regions. The program recognizes the disproportionate impact of climate change on Indigenous, northern, and remote communities and aims to reduce barriers in accessing resources for their climate change adaptation initiatives.

About the program

Every year, coastal communities in Canada face more frequent and extreme climate events, such as floods, wildfires and heat waves, as well as slow onset climate impacts like thawing permafrost and rising sea levels. These challenges affect the quality of life, health, environment and economy of these communities.

Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) supports coastal regions across Canada to adapt to a changing climate through its $41 million Climate-Resilient Coastal Communities (CRCC) Program (2023-2028) under the Government of Canada Adaptation Action Plan (GOCAAP) linked to the National Adaptation Strategy (NAS). The program funds integrated regional-scale pilot projects on Canada’s three marine coasts – Atlantic, Pacific, and North – and in the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence region to:

• enhance the climate resilience of coastal communities and businesses;
• develop and coordinate innovative adaptation actions to reduce climate change risks;
• work collaboratively on systems-based adaptation approaches; and
• develop guidance that can be implemented in other coastal regions.

The program recognizes the disproportionate impact of climate change on Indigenous, northern, and remote communities and aims to reduce barriers in accessing resources for their climate change adaptation initiatives.

Projects

CRCC pilot projects bring together partners from all levels of government, the private sector, Indigenous communities, academia, and non-governmental organizations. Working together at a regional scale to co-develop both short and long-term adaptation actions that are aligned and regionally integrated can create more effective and innovative solutions to reduce overall costs, offer co-benefits, and avoid maladaptation.