Firelight Presentation: Indigenous Climate Change Adaptation Planning Using a Values Focused Approach

This presentation took place on February 16th, 2016 at the Northern Planning Conference in Whitehorse

Local values and knowledge can be important components in creating robust climate change adaptation strategies  for marginalized communities.  Incorporating local values into the climate change planning process in a structured  way and effectively using local knowledge not only improves the identification of priority actions for climate  change adaptation, but also supports successful implementation.   The values of each community influence how  climate change impacts are perceived, and what adaptation actions are locally acceptable and will have local buy in  for implementation.  Thus, it is important that planning incorporates local values if the goal is successful  adaptation to climate change.

This presentation will reveal one approach for addressing this through a participatory, values based process for  climate change adaptation planning.  The approach is contextualized through a case study of the Gitga at Nation,  located in northern coastal British Columbia, Canada, where key values included culturally important food sources,  culture, environmental resources, self sufficiency, health, infrastructure to enable us to live well, among others.   These values were used throughout the planning process to contextualize climate change impacts on Gitga at  members  way of life and to develop and evaluate adaptation actions.  It is hoped that this case study provides  further proof of the utility of values based planning in the context of adaptation planning in communities.

Presented by Sarah Reid, MA – Research Coordinator, The Firelight Group. For further information contact: sarah.reid@thefirelightgroup.com