Adapting to Climate Change – A Risk-based Guide for Local Governments

Adapting to climate change may be one of the greatest challenges facing northern communities during the next century. This Guide has been written to primarily to assist local and regional governments understand the risks of predicted climate impacts and how to manage them. The Guide should also be useful for health officials, emergency managers, and businesses.

Risk management is a process for selecting the best course of action in uncertain situations. It does this by helping us identify, understand, analyze and communicate about risks. The Guide follows the framework for risk management described in the Canadian national standard “Risk Management: Guidelines for Decision-makers” (CAN/CSA- Q850-01)