Around five years ago, the Metro Vancouver Regional District adopted Climate 2050. This strategic framework is the Regional District’s response to climate change adaptation and greenhouse gas reduction. The framework calls for the creation of roadmaps which outline the specific climate actions we must take in Metro Vancouver. There are ten topics for which the Regional District will create roadmaps. They are Nature & Ecosystems, Infrastructure, Human Health & Well-Being, Buildings, Transportation, Industry, Energy, Land-Use & Growth Management, Agriculture, and Waste.
So far, the Regional District has completed roadmaps for Buildings and Transporation. The District’s Climate Action Committee is reviewing the roadmaps for Energy, and Nature & Ecosystems. Today, I’ll dig a bit deeper into Nature and Ecosystems.
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| Green Infrastructure Network from “Strategy 2” of the proposed Nature & Ecosystems roadmap. Select the image to enlarge. |
This roadmap has five key strategies, which include the following initiatives.
- Strategy 1: Protect, Restore, and Enhance the Region’s Ecosystems
- Protect an Additional 10% of the Region for Nature
- Protect, Restore, and Enhance Natural Areas at the Regional Scale
- Protect, Restore, and Enhance Nature at the Local Scale
- Incorporate Climate Change Planning into Protected Area Management
- Prioritize the Conservation of Ecosystem Health and Biodiversity in BC Forest Management
- Support Ecosystem Protection, Enhancement, and Restoration
- Reverse the Loss of the Region’s Ecosystems through Restoration
- Manage invasive species
- Strategy 2: Connect Green Infrastructure
- Develop a Regional Green Infrastructure Network
- Green Urban Areas
- Green the Regional Greenways Network
- Minimize Ecosystem Fragmentation
- Develop Data and Resources to Support Ecosystem Connectivity
- Strategy 3: Integrate Natural Assets into Conventional Asset Management and Decision-Making Processes
- Incorporate Natural Assets into Asset Management and Financial Planning
- Integrate Ecosystems and their Services into the Design of Major Infrastructure
- Consider Ecosystems and their Services in Major Development Decisions
- Support Natural Asset Management at the Local Level
- Explore Opportunities to Overcome Barriers to natural asset management
- Strategy 4: Support a Resilient, Robust, and Healthy Urban Forest
- Achieve 40% Tree Canopy Cover Within the Region’s Urban Areas
- Provide Data and Resources to Support Urban Forest Management
- Improve Local Regulations and Management Practices
- Convene Partners on Urban Forestry Issues
- Consider Equity and Human Health in Urban Forestry Planning
- Strategy 5: Advance Nature-based Solutions to Climate Change
- Explore Innovative Funding and Incentive Programs
- Plan for Climate Change Impacts on Ecosystems
- Include Nature-Based Solutions in Climate Action Plans
- Support the Implementation of Nature-based Solutions
- Manage Forests in the Context of a Changing Climate
- Advance Nature-Based Solutions to Address Flood Hazards
- Develop our Understanding of Coastal Ecosystems and Blue Carbon Potential
- Partner with Others to Address Climate Change Issues in Coastal and Marine Ecosystems
While the Regional District has developed this roadmap, for it to be successful, it will require the collaboration of First Nations governments, the province, the federal government, regional districts, and local governments.
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