It’s been just over five years since North Cowichan council acknowledged a climate emergency, and since then, drought has been a recurring theme of summer in the Valley.
To better prepare for climate change’s impacts on the people and economy of the Cowichan Valley, North Cowichan council has officially adopted a Climate Risk Assessment and Adaptation Strategy.
The 62-page strategy covers topics ranging from how the municipality plans to collaborate with First Nations on climate change mitigation strategies, to documenting what risks climate change poses to the water supply.
It builds off the Cowichan Valley Regional District’s work on Cowichan Adapts, a multi-phase climate adaptation and mitigation program to help make the region more resilient to the impacts of climate change.
In total, North Cowichan Mayor Rob Douglas said the strategy includes more than 70 actions the municipality can pursue. He said some of the first actions could even be built into the 2025 budget.
How did North Cowichan form its Climate Adaptation Strategy?
Engagement for the Climate Risk Assessment and Adaptation Strategy began in the spring of 2023 as the municipality aimed to understand local context and concerns related to climate change, according to a report from North Cowichan.
Between June and September 2023, the municipality put out a community survey and an online mapping activity and conducted interviews with interested parties.
The municipality also engaged with Cowichan Tribes, Halalt First Nation, Lyackson First Nation, Penelakut Tribe, Stz’uminus First Nation and Snuneymuxw First Nation. Each nation’s existing climate change work was reviewed to inform the process and an interactive workshop was held with representatives from Cowichan Tribes, Halalt First Nation and Lyackson First Nation.
From the workshop, the municipality heard there is a need for collaboration, funding and capacity building so First Nations communities can better address climate change. These communities have been impacted by flooding, erosion, drought and disruptions to cultural practices, according to a report from North Cowichan.
Representatives from Halalt First Nation, Cowichan Tribes and Lyackson First Nation identified climate change-related issues their communities are working to, and hoping to, address, the report says. These include flooding, drought, erosion causing land loss, private forestry practices impacting watersheds and habitat, decreasing fish stocks, food security and agriculture challenges. They also identified a lack of accountability within industry for its impacts on the environment.
Community survey respondents mostly expressed that summers in the Cowichan Valley have become hotter and drier, noting recent heat dome events and droughts. Other changes, such as loss of native plants, flooding were noted as well.
“The summers have been hotter, water shortages happen earlier in the year, more extreme weather events, more wildfires each season,” said one respondent, according to a North Cowichan report.
Respondents said that when it comes to climate change, they are most concerned about damage to the natural environment, followed by the temporary loss of municipal services and impacts to vulnerable populations. Other concerns include impacts to physical/mental health, financial losses or property damage and losing the ability to enjoy the outdoors.
Some respondents provided their own climate change concerns, other than the ones listed. They include wildfire devastation, loss of food sources and wildlife, an inability to farm and rising insurance rates.
“As farmers, our entire livelihood is affected by climate change,” a respondent said. “Flooding, fires and water restrictions could put us out of business and we would have to move elsewhere.”
Some respondents said they have “no concerns related to climate or expressed dissatisfaction with North Cowichan’s initiatives related to climate action,” the report says.
Wildfires, flooding and water shortages among the most urgent risks
After hearing from community members, North Cowichan assessed the risk and vulnerability of the municipality to climate change. It found that there is a generally high risk of flooding, severe wildfire and heatwaves — or a combination because these events can be interconnected — in all of the municipality’s service areas.
The report says severe wildfire seasons will become more likely by 2050 due to rising temperatures and dry fuel in forests, as well as decreasing summer precipitation.
Wildfires threaten the Municipal Forest Reserve, the biodiversity found within it as well as the drinking water system and infrastructure such as wastewater and stormwater services.
Flooding events will also become more frequent and severe by 2050, the report says, putting built assets, such as roads and drinking water systems, as well as natural habitats at risk. Since North Cowichan already experiences regular flooding in the community, the report says investments have already been made to adapt to flooding in the community.
Heatwaves are expected to become more common within the next 30 years and are a risk to the environment and human lives. The report from North Cowichan says heat waves will impact lake water quality and lead to a reduction in outdoor work, decreasing operational and recreational services in the community (such as park maintenance or construction).
Water shortages, which are already being noticed in the summers, are almost certainly going to take place by 2050. Water is essential to Indigenous cultural practices, the environment, fish and wildlife, as well as sustainable growth and development in the community. The report says this will have consequences on emergency response operations, habitats and ecosystems, and community growth and development.
While these climate change-related events will continue to occur, North Cowichan’s Climate Adaptation Strategy will serve as a roadmap for the municipality to adapt to climate change, and collaborate with others to do so. It aims to build on North Cowichan’s strengths and draws on scientific and local knowledge to plan for adaptation actions that will have the most impact on the community.
What can be done to protect Vancouver Island’s ‘most significant agriculture hub’?
Douglas said the economy of North Cowichan has been a significant focus while developing the strategy.
“One of the big concerns is that as we see more frequent and extreme weather events, there will be immediate and long-term impacts on our economy,” he said.
The Climate Adaptation Strategy report says North Cowichan’s economy could be significantly impacted by climate change events that could affect industry, agriculture and development. It notes that North Cowichan is “one of the most significant agriculture hubs on Vancouver Island,” producing a wide range of products, such as vegetables, berries and dairy.
According to Douglas, storm surge events could also affect businesses — particularly those along the coast — and, in turn, disrupt the local economy as these operations are major employers.
“There will be costs to implementing this climate change adaptation strategy, but there’s a significant cost to not taking any steps to adapt,” Douglas says.
One of the objectives is to support a climate-resilient economy by collaborating with the municipality’s Agriculture Advisory Committee, the CVRD, coastal businesses, local businesses and the tourism industry to explore adaptation options that strengthen the economy.
Read also: Downstream: The Discourse investigates solutions for Cowichan Valley water
Climate plan aims to lower emissions and address hazards
The adaptation also has a mitigation component, Douglas said.
In the climate adaptation strategy report, the municipality says mitigation efforts focus on reducing greenhouse gas emissions to ensure the problem isn’t getting worse.
North Cowichan’s Climate Action and Energy Plan highlights actions that can be taken for mitigation, such as shifting commercial vehicles to electric vehicles, improving energy efficiency for industrial operations and replacing natural gas with hydrogen gas where possible.
One way the municipality aims to reduce emissions is a program that incentivizes residents to switch to heat pumps, which Douglas says has seen a “good uptake” in the community.
A recent report to council on Oct. 16 shows that more than 350 homes converted to heat pumps, resulting in an annual decrease of 1,040 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions.
Adaptation, on the other hand, involves addressing climate change-related hazards in the community to prepare for them before they happen.
“Adaptation is about both moderating harm and taking advantage of new opportunities,” such as longer growing seasons, the adaptation strategy report says.
The report also says that investing in adaptation efforts now can contribute to a cost-efficient recovery from climate events and hazards in the future.
“The Canadian Climate Institute estimates that for every $1 invested today in adaptation measures, $13 – $15 is saved in years ahead from direct and indirect benefits,” the report says.
North Cowichan can’t go it alone
Douglas said that in the short term, the Climate Adaptation Strategy will see work done to protect municipal infrastructure and services. He pointed to flood mitigation efforts taking place in the Chemainus River Watershed, after floods have severely impacted Halalt First Nation.
“We’ve been working closely with the CVRD and Halalt [First] Nation on this over the last several years, and we’re looking to continue those efforts,” Douglas said. Part of this work includes the construction of a flood protection barrier wall and river bank protection.
“There’s definitely going to be a lot of coordination happening” between North Cowichan and the CVRD, Douglas said. “A lot of these actions do have more of a regional focus. So we want to ensure we’re not duplicating one another’s efforts.”
