Several municipalities have assessed local risks and vulnerabilities associated with climate change and identified adaptive solutions to minimize the impacts. The City of Thunder Bay’s innovative Climate Adaptation Strategy and associated Web portal has increased local communication and education on climate change. The City has moved forward with implementing measures to reduce local flood risk and improve the quality of stormwater runoff through various low-impact development projects, including a biofiltration facility. The City of Windsor, an early champion of adaptation, has promoted green roofs as a means to reduce risks associated with stormwater runoff and flooding, as well as heat events. Since the release of their Climate Change Adaptation Plan, green roofs have been installed throughout the city on both private and municipal buildings. A recent study ranked the City of Kingston’s Climate Action Plan as the top plan in Canada for effectively addressing both greenhouse gas emissions reduction and climate change adaptation. Kingston has also begun investing in low impact development projects to reduce the climate risks. Projects include increasing usage of permeable pavement, implementing bioswale gardens, and increasing underground stormwater storage.
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