To help the community respond to the impacts of climate change, Northumberland County will begin implementation of a Climate Adaptation and Resiliency Plan, following recent adoption of the plan by County Council.
As part of the second phase of the County’s Climate Action Strategy, which was launched in early 2025, this plan focuses on protecting infrastructure, economy, and the natural environment from climate-related risks like rising temperatures, unpredictable precipitation, shoreline erosion, and more frequent severe weather events. The Federation of Canadian Municipalities’ Local Leadership for Climate Adaptation (LLCA) program, made possible with support from the Government of Canada, provided $76,993.00 in financial support for this project. Through the Green Municipal Fund (GMF), the LLCA initiative is investing over $530 million to support more than 1,400 activities by 2031.
“The completion of the Climate Adaptation and Resiliency Plan is an important step toward building a climate-ready community,” states Northumberland County Sustainability Officer Rachel Barton. “Since the mid-20th century, the average surface temperature over land in Canada has risen by two degrees celsius and continues to increase. Higher temperatures can contribute to an array of effects that impact our natural, built, and socioeconomic systems, such as increased severe weather and risk of drought, flooding, and wildfire. It’s important that we have a proactive plan in place to ensure we are ready to respond to potential challenges, so we can protect the health and safety of our community, and maintain strong and reliable infrastructure,” states Barton.
“Prioritizing climate adaptation helps safeguard communities and delivers real economic benefits for residents,” says Rebecca Bligh, FCM President. “These plans are a critical first step in building climate resilience, enabling local governments to identify risks and put practical measures in place to protect infrastructure, maintain services, and support quality of life now and into the future.”
The Climate Adaptation and Resiliency Plan builds on the Corporate Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions Reduction Plan developed as phase one of the Climate Action Strategy, which focuses on reducing GHG emissions related to County operations. This phase two plan takes a broader look at other impacts of climate change to the community as a whole, and identifies actions the community can take together to adapt to changing climates.
The plan identifies several key action items to complete in the coming months, some of which include:
Developing an information hub for climate adaptation and building resiliency
Creating an inter-municipal working group to coordinate adaptation planning
Delivering educational content to help community members learn about adaptation actions they can take
The Climate Adaptation and Resiliency Plan was developed as a collaborative initiative, created through broad engagement with the public and with a 21-member Adaptation and Resiliency Group representing interested parties from across the community.
Northumberland County partnered with ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability Canada in the development of the plan.
“It has been a pleasure working with Northumberland County staff and partners on their Climate Adaptation and Resiliency Plan,” states ICLEI Canada Senior Climate Change Project Officer Pavils Hawkins. “The ICLEI Canada team provided guidance and structure to support the process, from initial planning and community engagement to wrestling with complex tradeoffs and translating climate risk into practical, locally grounded action. What has emerged is a plan that reflects both the County’s ambitions and the realities its communities face.”
Learn more about the actions identified in the County’s Climate Action Plan by visiting Northumberland.ca/ClimateAction.
This project was carried out with assistance from the Federation of Canadian Municipalities and the Government of Canada.
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
