Resilient Communities: Preparing for the Climate Challenge

June 14 – 15, 2011
Morris J. Wosk Centre for Dialogue
Vancouver BC

View highlights from the Resilient Communities forum in this short video.

Additional footage that focuses on the solutions advocated by our guest speakers will be incorporated into the upcoming Climate Insights 101 module on adaptation.

Despite international efforts to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, our global climate will continue to change significantly over the coming decades and possibly centuries. Warmer temperatures, more frequent extreme precipitation events, continuing sea level rise and reduced summer river flows are examples of what lies ahead for BC. What does this mean for our communities and, importantly, our food supply?

Local governments are already undertaking numerous efforts to reduce GHG emissions and are investing in carbon offsets. How can they deal with adapting to climate change at the same time? The agricultural sector, already strained under economic pressures, is expected to respond to an increasing demand for local food to minimize transportation-related GHG emissions. Can farmers simultaneously adapt to changing climate conditions?

The Resilient Communities forum explored these issues by bringing together experts, practitioners and decision-makers from BC, Canada, the UK and Australia. Participants learned about the latest climate change projections for BC and where to find information to guide adaptation decisions. Selected case studies demonstrated how communities and the agricultural sector are beginning to respond. The forum provided opportunities for participants to discuss the issues, question the experts and provide input to government and researchers.

This year's forum included the following three events:

an afternoon briefing for decision-makers;
an evening public forum on food security; and
all-day sessions for researchers and practitioners.

Resilient Communities was the third annual event in the PICS forum series after "FutureGrid: BC's Energy Options in a Changing Environment" in 2010 and “Decoding Carbon Pricing: Achieving a Low Carbon Society in British Columbia” in 2009.