Understanding and Assessing Impacts
The Climate Resilient Home tool was created as part of a larger project called the Regional Climate Resilience Exchange which included municipalities from across the Edmonton Metropolitan Region and was supported through direction from All-One-Sky and supplementary support from consultants and academic institutions to identify vulnerabilities and take action. A regional approach was chosen in part thanks to its ability to better avoid a scenario known as maladaptation whereby actions which benefit one municipality may increase risks for others. The project began by taking stock of the most pressing climate vulnerabilities in the Edmonton Metropolitan Region. In order to do so, background research was conducted, and interviews were undertaken with the participating municipalities by the project lead. Once a baseline understanding of regional vulnerabilities was achieved, a ‘current state’ document was produced which helped to inform later steps in the program including the prioritization of vulnerabilities. The project engaged in additional research which was undertaken to address knowledge gaps identified by the participating municipalities. This research endeavoured to gain a more detailed understanding as to the effect of climate change on the area’s water security, trees and forests, and invasive species and pests. Resource pooling among the participants was said to have enabled such research.