Coastal climate change and aging communities in Atlantic Canada: A methodological overview of community asset and social vulnerability mapping

Abstract

Coastal climate change is challenging communities to adapt. More frequent and extreme weather events leading to coastal area flooding and other hazards can present a risk for residents and the infrastructure and services they rely on. This is particularly the case for vulnerable populations such as seniors. Nova Scotia is experiencing this confluence of factors; it has rural and remote coastal communities and the oldest population of any province in Canada. Our spatial study examines these dynamics in five rural and small town municipalities in Lunenburg and Annapolis counties. We combine population model projections and coastal sea rise scenarios to the year 2025--2026 with community asset, infrastructure, and residential property mapping and a review of municipal policies. We forward a framework for understanding coastal climate change impacts on key infrastructure, services, and assets that are relied upon by an older population as well as the current and potential municipal planning responses. We find that critical assets important to older populations are impacted by coastal climate change in our study areas and time frame. This article shares our research methods and findings with the aim of helping communities map change and plan for the future. Les changements climatiques en milieu côtier et le vieillissement des communaut es du Canada atlantique : un survol m ethodologique de la cartographie des ressources communautaires et de la vuln erabilit e sociale Les communaut es sont confront ees a des d efis d'adaptation aux changements climatiques en milieu côtier. Des ph enom enes m et eorologiques exceptionnels et r ep et es provoquant des inondations et d'autres dangers dans les zones côti eres peuvent exposer a des risques les r esidents et les infrastructures et services dont ils d ependent. Les personnesâg ees comptent parmi les populations vuln erables particuli erement touch ees. Ces facteurs sont r eunis en NouvelleEcosse qui abrite des communaut es côti eres rurales et eloign ees et la population la plusâg ee de toutes les provinces canadiennes. Cette etude spatiale aborde la dynamique qui s'op ere dans cinq petites municipalit es rurales situ ees dans les comt es de Lunenburg et d'Annapolis. Les mod eles de projection d emographique et les sc enarios de hausse du niveau marin en zones côti eres a Correspondence to/Adresse de correspondance: Eric Rapaport, l'horizon 2025--2026 sont mis en parall ele avec la cartographie des ressources communautaires, des infrastructures, et des propri et es r esidentielles ainsi qu'un examen des politiques municipales. Un cadre est ensuite propos e afin de comprendre les cons equences des changements climatiques en milieu côtier sur les infrastructures, services et ressources dont la population vieillissante d epend, de même que les mesures actuelles et potentielles prises par les municipalit es en mati ere d'am enagement du territoire. Le constat qui se d egage est que les effets des changements climatiques en milieu côtier affectent les ressources indispensables pou...

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