Strategy for managing climate change – City of Gatineau

The City of Gatineau will need to build resilience for its municipal activities in the face of the climate changes that will affect its territory. Aware of the magnitude of the impacts caused by temperature increases and fluctuations, long-term changes in precipitation patterns, and the increased frequency and intensity of extreme events on social, economic and environmental systems, the City of Gatineau wants to take action.

The City of Gatineau has experienced several weather events in recent years, such as heavy precipitation causing flooding (2017-2019), heat waves (summer 2018) and violent storms. These events have had many socio-economic and environmental consequences.

To address the issues raised for its operations, the City of Gatineau is developing a climate change management strategy.

Assist the City of Gatineau in the development of a climate change adaptation plan and a plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in order to strengthen the resilience of municipal services and establish a solid foundation for the long-term integration of climate change within municipal services and the community.

• Create a “Climate Change” team and working groups for internal consultation;

• Adaptation to Climate Change component: create a portrait of the City of Gatineau’s vulnerability to current and past climate impacts and build a future climate profile;

• Study the impacts of climate change on the activities of the various municipal departments, assets, infrastructures and the community of the City of Gatineau;

• Develop a strategy for engaging external stakeholders and hold consultations as part of the process to identify the impacts of climate change;

• GHG Emissions Reduction component (managed by ICLEI): perform a validation exercise on the 2009 and 2015 inventories to boost the credibility of steps previously taken and the City of Gatineau’s confidence in the data it possesses.