Northumberland County is taking the next step in its Climate Action Strategy with the development of a Climate Adaptation and Resiliency Plan – a roadmap to help the community prepare and respond to the impacts of a changing climate.
Residents, businesses, and community partners are encouraged to participate in a survey to share their experiences, priorities, and ideas for action. As an added incentive, all survey participants can be entered into a random draw to receive an emergency preparedness kit – a practical way to help households be ready for extreme weather events.
“Climate change is an urgent issue that is shaping the future of our community,” states Northumberland County Warden Brian Ostrander. “This plan will help ensure Northumberland is prepared to adapt and thrive in a changing climate. We want to hear directly from residents and community partners so the plan reflects our shared priorities and vision for the future.”
This plan, the second phase of the County’s multi-year Climate Action Strategy, will focus on protecting local communities, infrastructure, the economy, and the natural environment from climate-related risks like rising temperatures, unpredictable precipitation, shoreline erosion, and more frequent severe weather events. It follows broad public consultation and the adoption of the Corporate Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions Reduction Plan in January 2025, which set ambitious goals to reduce County operational emissions by 65% by 2030 and achieve net-zero by 2050.
“Climate change is already impacting our communities, and these impacts are projected to intensify in the years ahead,” states Northumberland County Environmental Officer Korey McKay. “This plan is about building resilience—ensuring our communities, businesses, and ecosystems are better prepared to face climate challenges. We’re asking residents to share their knowledge and perspectives, so this plan reflects local needs and priorities.”
The Climate Adaptation and Resiliency Plan will be completed in early 2026 and will build on findings from the County’s recent Vulnerability and Risk Assessment (VRA), which identified areas of concern for climate impacts. Feedback from the survey will help validate these findings and guide actions to safeguard community well-being.
The survey is available at Joinin.Northumberland.ca/Climate-Action-Planning until October 10, 2025.
Residents are also encouraged to subscribe to the project page for updates and progress reports as the plan develops.
Author: Pete Fisher
Has been a photojournalist for over 30-years and have been honoured to win numerous awards for photography and writing over the years. Best selling author for the book Highway of Heroes - True Patriot Love
