Climate Resilience in Rural Communities: Summer Village of Ghost Lake

In summer 2020, storm after storm hit Alberta with massive hail, gale-force winds and driving water. By fall, we had already amassed close to $2 billion in insured losses from extreme weather. As climate change intensifies, Albertans can expect more years like that, with significant impacts on infrastructure, water resources, and the economy.
How can small Alberta communities prepare for the risks that lie ahead? Last year, the Summer Village of Ghost Lake decided to act, securing Action Centre funding to create a Climate Resilience and Adaptation Plan
The plan equips staff and residents with an understanding of local climate risks and the ability to integrate that understanding into action and decision making. It is also built around values of self-sufficiency and citizen action, tailor-made to the strengths and challenges of a small, rural municipality.
Presented by the Municipal Climate Change Action Centre with the Summer Village of Ghost Lake and Morrison Hershfield.
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Clarissa Huffman is a climate change planner and project manager with Morrison Hershfield. She specializes in climate-informed community planning, and has experience with low-carbon resilience, nature-based solutions, and developing climate risk and vulnerability assessments for local governments.