ACASA Projects
ACASA projects are grouped into the following broad categories: 1 INTEGRATING ADAPTION INTO COMMMUNITY PLANNING Coastal Land Use Risk and Vulnerability Inland Land Use Risk and Vulnerability Infrastructure Design 2 MANAGING GROUNDWATER RESOURCES 3 ENHANCING CAPACITY OF ADAPTATION PRACTITIONERS To address all the variables that are influenced by climate change impacts, adaptation planners need to consider many factors, including climate projections, change in land elevation and sea-levels, storm water infrastructure, development activity and land use. Integration of this knowledge and understanding the interrelationships will allow decision-makers to incorporate adaptation considerations effectively into local development and risk management activities. Acknowledging that many factors must be considered in developing local adaptation processes and plans, ACASA is pursuing the majority of its work in partnership with local communities.
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Acadian Peninsula Coastal Erosion and Sea Level Rise Project/ Projet sur l'érosion et l’élévation du niveau de la mer de la Péninsule acadienne
Coastal erosion, threat of flooding and property damage. The project work was identified as priority in a recent climate change adaptation plan developed for Le Goulet., Future erosion and sea level rise will be modeled and infrastructure at risk will be mapped. The work is being
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An Assessment of Coastal Infrastructure Relevant to the Fishing and Aquaculture Industries in ACAS Study Areas
The commercial fishery combined with the aquaculture industry is worth approximately a billion dollars to Nova Scotia’s economy. Perhaps the most obvious symbols of the importance of these industries are the numerous pieces of harbour and working waterfront infrastructure that
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An Evaluation of Flood Risk to Infrastructure Across the Chignecto Isthmus
Nova Scotia’s road and rail gateways to Canada are situated within the Chignecto Isthmus – a low-lying area that is vulnerable to rising sea levels and storm surges from both the Bay of Fundy and the Northumberland Strait. Currently, a system of agricultural dykes, the Canad
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An Evaluation of Social Vulnerability and Social Assets at Risk to Climate Change Impacts in Three Nova Scotian ACAS Communities
Social assets are the physical, social (e.g. governance, mechanisms that facilitate social relations), cultural and economic attributes that support community life and are valued for that support by residents of a community. There are many social assetswithin the communities that
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Analysis and Mitigation of Dyke Vulnerability within ACAS Target Community Areas of the Upper Bay of Fundy
Management of dykes is critical for the sustainability of substantial areas within the Upper Bay of Fundy as these areas have a high social and economic value. Coastal change due to future climate change has been cited as a key risk to coastal populations and infrastructure. As s
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Assessment of Community Preparedness in ACAS Communities: Public Survey
Understanding public perceptions of climate change, impacts and risks helps decision makers to assess how closely public opinion matches scientific findings and what efforts, if any, may be needed to raise awareness or improve public understanding of emerging and historical clima
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Atlantic Climate Adaptation Solutions Knowledge Transfer Strategy
Under the ACAS project each of the four Atlantic Provinces has managed a suite of projects focused on addressing common climate change adaptation issues in Atlantic Canada. With the ACAS project destined to be completed in 2012, effective dissemination of the knowledge derived f
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Climate Change Scenarios for Prince Edward Island Communities
Adapting to climate change requires firm scenarios for future conditions and guidance on how to interpret and use this information. Climate scenario information is publicly available. However, the information often exists in different formats and is derived using valid, but alt
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Climate Forecasting to 2100
Appropriate and updated climate data and projections are required in order to move forward on the ACASA projects and are necessary for responsible land use development. This data is also critical for determining climate change impacts on existing and new development and for deve
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Climate Scenario Development for ACAS Communities in Nova Scotia
One of the prime questions facing all decision makers is that of understanding what the climate and the environment will be like in the future. This requirement applies at the global, regional and local levels. For the ACAS project, vulnerability and adaptation assessments at the
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Coastal Change at the Summerside Rifle Range
Prince Edward Island's coastline is constantly changing. Climate change will bring further change and put important infrastructure at risk. Examining historical shoreline erosion rates and impacts on important community infrastructure can provide guidance for future planning an
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Coastal Erosion Hazard Mapping in Prince Edward Island
Coastal erosion rates are available in Prince Edward Island and are used to estabish appropriate setback distances for coastal development (60 ft or 60 times the annual erosion rate). However, these rates were determined using 1935 and 1980 aerial photos and may not reflect curr
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Coastal Erosion and Shoreline Classification in Stratford
The Town of Stratford, like many communities in Prince Edward Island, is experiencing erosion. However, rates or erosion have not been routinely monitored. Accurate information on erosion and the vulnerability of coastal areas is needed to enable better coastal planning and to
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Coastal Vulnerability Assessment
Most communities in Newfoundland and Labrador are located along the coast. While these areas have always been subject to storm events, climate change projections suggest the storm events are likely to become more severe especially when combined with rising sea levels. This proj
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Community Guidebook on Socioeconomic Scenarios
Climate and socio-economic scenarios are essential for impact assessments and adaptation planning. Climate data and scenarios provide information about the potential frequency and severity of climatic impacts and extreme weather events over time. By contrast, socioeconomic data
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Community Vulnerability Assessment Tool
There are many small, rural communities across Newfoundland and Labrador that are at risk to impacts from climate change. Many of those communities lack capacity to tackle climate change issues on their own. This vulnerability tool has been developed to assist communities in th
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Community Vulnerability Assessment in Prince Edward Island
Most communities in Atlantic Canada have not considered climate change in their day-to-day operations. Communities are concerned about climate change but lack the resources to assess and address their vulnerability., Project objectives were to develop and implement a PEI-specific
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Concepts and Approaches to ACAS Program Evaluation
The Atlantic Climate Adaptation Solutions programme (ACAS) represents a programme that has had a life span of some 5 years and involved numerous stakeholders. It was recognized that as it approaches its end point, there was a need to consider appropriate approaches to the topic o
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Construction and Analysis of Flood Risk Maps for Select Coastal Communities in Nova Scotia
Coastal communities need to be aware of the extent that areas might be at risk to flooding from storms and long-term sea-level rise. Unfortunately, the current detail of elevation information for many areas along the Nova Scotia coast is inadequate to make informed decisions for
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Development of Adaptation Capacity within Nova Scotia's Provincial Departments
The ACAS project has aimed at building the capacity of regional decision-makers to address climate change issues in a selection of common (and priority) theme areas, including planning for coastal and inland risks and vulnerabilities, infrastructure design and placement, water ma
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Development of Climate Change Adaptive Capacity in Municipalities of Nova Scotia ACAS Communities.
Adaptation to climate change is an effort that requires action at multiple levels (international, national, regional, provincial and local). The Nova Scotia ACAS project recognized that stimulating development of adaptation capacity at the local level is one of the priority objec
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Development of an Urban Forest Canopy Model for input into a Lidar-based Stormwater Runoff Model for Halifax Harbour Watersheds.
A major challenge from a changing climate in Atlantic Canada is anticipated to be an increase in the intensity and frequency of extreme weather events, such as storms and associated precipitation. Amplification of extreme precipitation amounts could overwhelm conventional storm w
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Dyke Inventory and Elevation Verification
Historically the dykes around the Bay of fundy were constructed for the purpose of protecting agricultural lands. After WW II the Federal Government created an Organization called the Maritime Marshland Reclamation Agency which used modern construction techniques to reconstruct e
