The Atlantic province of Nova Scotia, dubbed Canada’s Ocean Playground, has 13,300 kilometers of coastline. One-fifth of our province’s income is derived on the coastal and marine industries, and about 70% of the population reside in coastal villages. Our culture, music, leisure activities, and spirit are all closely tied to the coast.
Unfortunately, due in part to vertical ground movement, we are currently facing the most dire sea level rise estimates in the nation (our land is subsiding as the sea-level rises). Along the shore of the Bay of Fundy, we experience some of the highest tides in the world. We frequently encounter severe weather since Nova Scotia is situated in the path of hurricanes and post-tropical storms that are moving up the Eastern Seaboard. Our province is being heavily impacted by coastal climate change. Storm surges, coastal floods, enhanced coastal erosive processes, and saltwater intrusion are all present.
The Educating Coastal Communities About Sea-level Rise (ECoAS) Project was established with the goal of converting scientific research on climate change into information that can be used to inform coastal communities in Atlantic Canada about the importance of planning for potential sea-level rise effects. The Ecological Action Centre (EAC) and Fisheries and Oceans Canada collaborated to develop an educational website about rising seas in Atlantic Canada and British Columbia that is packed with materials for coastal people, fishermen, and communities.
This project aims to help communities learn about sea-level rise and how it affects them and provide access to tools and resources that have been developed locally with the latest climate change information available. It also illustrates where sea-level rise impacts are happening through an interactive map and shows the need for incorporating sea-level rise into future planning.
In order to examine residents’ and students’ perspectives on sea-level rise, the EAC collaborated with students in Dalhousie University’s Department of Sociology and Social Anthropology. By comprehending perceptions, we can concentrate our efforts on removing the fundamental obstacles that impede people from anticipating and adjusting to sea level rise.
More information about this initiative at https://ecologyaction.ca/our-work/coastal-water/sea-level-rise-education-planning
Reference:
https://ecologyaction.ca/
Photo by Joseph Barrientos on Unsplash
