Arelia Werner, Trevor Murdock
University of Victoria, Pacific Climate Impacts Consortium
Contact: dhuis@uvic.ca
After completing an overview of
hydro-climatology in British Columbia, several communities requested
that the Pacific Climate Impacts Consortium (PCIC) complete assessments
of climate change at their local level. These assessments contain
attractive graphics and maps, which convey pertinent information to
community members and decision makers. Although materials were targeted
to the small-scale, the ability of the community to assimilate this
information was uncertain.
Communities
that PCIC staff have worked with to date include: Whitehorse; Atlin;
Dawson City; the Cariboo-Chilcotin and the South Coast. Information was
tailored to suit the needs of communities after discussion with local
technical staff and representatives, such as staff of the Northern
Climate Exchange, the City of Whitehorse or the Integrated Land
Management Bureau at the Ministry of Agriculture and Lands. The number
of people involved in crafting these assessments was highly variable,
and interaction took place remotely via phone conversations or through
hands-on involvement in processes, such as Charrettes. Thereby, the
needs of communities were explored through engagement with local
representatives coming from different backgrounds and responsibility
levels, who participate in decision-making.
The results show a
strong desire by community-level decision-makers to understand the
consequences of global climate change and regional impacts that can be
applied to their community. However, there is frequently confusion
between the consequences of climate change as compared to climate
variability. Although technical information is needed, the methodology
is often not appreciated. Furthermore, there is a need for a broad
explanation of climate mechanics in Pacific North America. These
limitations demand additional time for personal interaction, repetition
of concepts, and concrete examples or demonstrations of the issues.
Ultimately, the driving theme of these interactions was the need for
community members to address the question, “What does this mean for
us?” in terms of water supply, energy requirements and infrastructure.