City of Lethbridge approves Climate Adaptation Strategy and Action Plan

The CASAP document describes climate change as a “risk multiplier,” meaning that climate-related hazards will continue to become more frequent and severe as time goes on.

It states that Lethbridge has already been impacted by climate-related hazards such as droughts and flooding, and both extreme heat and cold.

General Manager of Waste & Environment Mandi Parker says there are a few key ways the CASAP helps to make the community more resilient to such risks.

“The strategy and plan identify challenges around water management, emergency preparedness, extreme weather and changing climate conditions,” says Parker. “It also evaluates potential risks across the social, natural and built economic systems. This helps us to really understand the impact to the community, particularly the vulnerable members of the community.”

The plan includes 33 priority actions, which are organized into eight themes:

Enabling Initiatives
- Develop City of Lethbridge climate adaptation partnerships to implement and inform delivery of the CASAP
- Initiate and maintain close working relationships with community and regional organizations to foster collaboration and find synergies between local and regional climate adaptation initiatives.
- Establish a framework and coordinate internal and external delivery of climate change education including climate risks, adaptation actions, and emergency preparedness.
- Identify a “Resilient Lethbridge Flagship Project” to show alignment between the various actions in this plan and demonstrate City leadership in climate adaptation, possibly a climate resilient City park or facility
City Emergency Preparedness Planning
- Develop a post-event rapid damage assessment and debris management plan.
- Update corporate Emergency Response Plans (ERPs) for highrisk climate hazards
- Develop department specific/ customized business continuity plans.
Healthy, Safe, and Prepared Communities, Protecting Critical Infrastructure
- Assess and identify areas of risk to resilience of access/ egress routes for Lethbridge at large. Prioritize key City facilities and neighbourhoods that do not have multiple transportation routes (consider fire breaks, multiple exit routes, vulnerability of access roads).
- Identify opportunities for indoor recreation during periods of extreme heat and wildfire smoke.
- Assess, upgrade, and invest in Climate Centres within the community to provide accessible spaces for residents to find relief from extreme temperatures and wildfire smoke with a priority on equitable access and proximity to vulnerable populations.
- Partner with community organizations and develop a program to improve individual and community selfsufficiency in preparing for emergency response.
- Launch an annual public education campaign on the climate risks identified in this assessment and the emergency response and preparedness actions that residents can undertake to support themselves and loved ones during extreme events. Include targeted messaging to vulnerable populations.
Protecting Critical Infrastructure
- Develop a comprehensive wildfire mitigation plan identifying critical city infrastructure and key sites, prioritizing critical infrastructure for fire prevention, and potential risks to operation
- Assess/reassess and install backup power and/ or onsite renewable energy to sustain critical City services during power outages (e.g., heat events overloading grid, hail or storm damage to critical equipment). Consider the critical systems/services that will be increasingly important in the future (e.g., Climate Centres).
- Assess overland flood risks to community including key City sites and major transportation routes. Use findings to educate people about potential impacts and any mitigation actions that can be taken.
Resilient Design
- Develop business processes for integrating climate risk and resilience into City of Lethbridge capital projects.
- Integrate climate actions (retrofit, replacement) and impacts (O&M frequency and reduced lifespan) into asset management plans. Utilize the Cost of Inaction Report to prioritize investment based on the City infrastructure and services that will be most impacted by climate change.
- Update infrastructure design standards for public property to align with federal climate-informed standards and building code updates
- Develop Resilient Lethbridge Building and Development Guidelines to encourage improved resilience of new developments.
- To protect from power outages due to extreme heat and other events, promote energy independence through grid modernization. Enable greater battery storage and renewable energy.
Water Stewardship
- Develop and implement a Water Conservation Plan and Strategy including an update to the Water Rationing Plan in the context of future climate conditions for the betterment of residents, industry, and ecosystems.
- Establish water conservation targets in the context of future climate and report on progress with specific requirements for responsible water use on City property (e.g., xeriscaping, water reuse, efficient irrigation, planting selection).
- Review and update City irrigation service levels and procedures to reflect best practices in outdoor water use (e.g., equipment, timing of watering) and strategically managing our water use through technology. Consider high efficiency sprinkler systems when developing new parks or renewing existing park areas
- Complete an in-depth investigation of how water and wastewater operations will be impacted by climate (particularly extreme heat).
- Collaborate with local organizations and internal partnerships to provide and promote educational programming on severe drought and the importance of water conservation.
Transitioning Landscapes
- Develop program to integrate climate resilient plant species and increased topsoil requirements in City projects, policy, and design standards. Requirements should be applicable to the City as an organization, the private sector, and residential developments.
- Enhance current programs and deliver an educational campaign explaining how private landscapes can help to moderate both flood and drought.
- Increase maintenance activities for new and existing plantings to ensure long-term healthy landscapes.
- Support neighbourhoods that are more vulnerable to climate change by strategically investing in nature in these locations.
Protecting and Enhancing Nature
- Develop a Biodiversity Strategy and policy in alignment with climate risks and integrate within planning and policies.
- Develop a plan and supporting tools to identify and prioritize natural areas for protection in the context of climate risks.
- Create a formal partnership to act on improving riparian habitat restoration in the River Valley. Update existing River Valley Health Assessment and identify priority actions for public education, investment, and policy changes (e.g., restrictions on development in the area).
- Continue to expand education, monitoring, and management programs for invasive species to better understand and manage their risks. Ensure adequate budget is in place to respond to infestations as they are expected to increase in the future.

The full CASAP document can be found on the City of Lethbridge website.

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by David Opinko

City of Lethbridge approves Climate Adaptation Strategy and Action Plan

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