The community engagement process: a governance approach in adaptation to coastal erosion and flooding in Atlantic Canada/Le processus d'engagement communautaire : une demarche de gouvernance en adaptation aux problemes d'erosion cotiere et d'inondation au Nouveau Brunswick.(PART I: The Essential Presence of the Actor/PARTIE I: L'indispensable presence de l'acteur)

Abstract

This paper provides information about how two coastal communities in Atlantic Canada are dealing with serious problems resulting from flooding and coastal erosion and how they view the potential for similar problems to increase under climate change. Since 2003, researchers have been involved in action research to involve community residents, local decision makers and civil servants in a decision making process focussing on climate related adaptation measures. A community engagement process was proposed by researchers to better understand the coordination of actions amongst stakeholders. This process included developing an inventory of local perceptions on sea level rise, knowledge and concerns, awareness and information on adaptation measures already used by local people, community capacity building and decision-making through focus group discussions. Data were collected using semi-directed interviews conducted before and after the process. Results show that participants have already been using some adaptation techniques although they lack resources and direction. The research process resulted in new solutions in both areas. Participants view the process positively, pointing out that more sustainable solutions have been found and will improve their chances of securing government resources for future developments. Researchers in the future will need to identify more clearly how the process of sea level rise is linked to climate change studies and how it can strengthen governance in order to encourage broader participation.

Resume

Les communautes de Le Goulet et de Pointe-du-Chene sont deux communautes cotieres du nord-est et du sud-est du Nouveau-Brunswick aux prises avec des problemes lies aux inondations et a l'erosion cotiere. Depuis 2003, les chercheurs ont entrepris une recherche-action qui s'inspire des recentes recherches sur la gouvernante, en collaboration avec des residants, des decideurs locaux et des fonctionnaires locaux pour favoriser l'engagement de ces communautes envers la prise de decision pour des mesures d'adaptation. Afin de comprendre la coordination des actions entre ces acteurs, le processus d'engagement comprend l'identification des perceptions, des preoccupations et des connaissances locales sur le sujet, l'identification des mesures en adaptation deja utilisees, des activites de sensibilisation et d'information et un accompagnement de chercheurs dans la prise de decision lors de groupes de discussion. Les donnees ont ete recueillies a l'aide d'entrevues semi-dirigees realisees en debut de processus et en fin de processus. Les resultats montrent que les participants sont deja a l'oeuvre en matiere d'adaptation mais manquent de ressources humaines et materielles sur la maniere de proceder. Le processus entrepris a produit un changement de direction important dans les mesures en adaptation envisagees a Le Goulet et a permis d'ajouter certains elements nouveaux dans les deux communautes. Selon les repondants, le processus a permis d'apporter des solutions plus durables, d'aider a confirmer et a donner de la credibilite aux efforts deja entrepris aupres des gouvernements. Il importerait pour les chercheurs de mieux specifier la demarche dans le cadre des etudes sur le changement climatique et les resultats escomptes en matiere de gouvemance pour encourager une participation citoyenne plus large.

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Climate change is an important topic attracting much public and media attention both at the local and global level. The latest report of the Intergovernmental panel on climate change (IPCC) confirms with 90 % certainty the anthropogenic origin of the increase in global temperatures, an increase that is predicted to reach 1.8 to 4 degrees Celsius before 2100 (IPCC 2007). As a consequence, expected sea-level rise for the next century is of the order of 18 to 59 cm, although the IPCC warns that the increase in sea-level could be even more severe since the conclusions reached do not consider data on the melting of the Greenland and Antarctic glaciers.

Impacts from climate change and sea-level rise are particularly important for coastal communities where flooding and erosion are predicted to increase. In Canada, certain parts of the Atlantic coast are particularly vulnerable to storm surges and rising sea-levels. According to the storm surge prediction model developed by Dalhousie University (Dalcoast 2005), the Northumberland Strait part of the Gulf of St Laurence is the most susceptible area to storm surges in Atlantic Canada. Here, sea-level rise due to the expansion of warming waters is accentuated by coastal subsidence. This movement of the land mass is more accentuated in the south-eastern portion of the province with a subsidence rate of approximately 10 cm per century (Environment Canada 2006) and is even more important with approximately 30 cm in the eastern axis near the Iles de la Madeleine in Quebec or the southern axis in the Truro -Halifax region of Nova-Scotia.