Overview and Objectives: This Resource Kit 


Learning Network Study Tour in Kimberley, BC. July 16, 2008.

This website is the collaborative effort of several consultants who participated in Columbia Basin Trust's (CBT) Initiative "Communities Adapting to Climate Change" in 2008-2009. Its purpose is to share the experiences of the first two communities, Kimberley and Elkford, that underwent this year-long adaptation planning process.

This site is intended to help communities get started more efficiently with adaptation planning. There is no reason to re-invent the wheel. We have a lot to learn from those who have already experienced this planning process, so let this be a window into that process. Over the course of your planning, you are inevitably going to need to dig deep into a variety of resources. Until then, we invite you to explore this site to begin your journey.

What this kit is:

  • It documents the products, the process, and the learning that took place in the communities of Phase One.
  • It reflects the work of two small, rural communities in B.C. Note: Larger communities will need to adapt this information for their use.
  • It contains the tips and tales from those on the ground, the golden nuggets of information the may elsewhere be buried in pages upon pages of material.
  • A live document that will be updated as the projects progress.

What this kit is NOT:

  • It is not a comprehensive step-by-step guide, which you may find in useful guidebooks such as the University of Washington's Climate Impacts Group Guidebook.
  • It is not filled with technical content regarding thematic planning areas. Thematic, technical background information can be found in Kimberley and Elkford's final reports.
  • It is not a comprehensive guide on climate change. It does not attempt to explain what climate change is, nor does it differentiate between mitigation and adaptation. For more information about this, please visit the CBT website.
  • It does not cover the cost-benefit analysis of adaptation actions.
  • It does not cover the monitoring process in detail as of yet. It is based on Phase One (2008-2009), and as the plans in these communitites develop, we aim to update and improve this section of the site.
  • It is not a 'how to' road map. Each community is unique and will therefore develop their own individual planning process.

The main objectives of the site are:

  • To share experiences and key insights from local, government-led climate change adaptation projects for communities taking on similar exercises in the Columbia Basin and beyond.
  • To ensure communities can build on the knowledge and capacity gained through Basin experiences.
  • To support communities doing climate change adaptation planning.

This site will be especially useful for:

  • Local coordinators and consultants in participating communities
  • Local governments involved in the planning process, including elected officials, city staff and council, and steering committees
  • Stakeholders and residents in participating local communities
  • Researchers, governments and organizations interested in learning more about climate change adaptation planning processes
  • Sponsors and funders

Click here to go directly to the case study for Kimberley.

Click here to go directly to the case study for Elkford.

For more information about this Resource Kit, please contact CBT's Climate Change Adaptation Coordinator at adaptation@cbt.org.