Climate-Resilient Coastal Communities Program
About the program
Every year, coastal communities in Canada face more frequent and extreme climate events, such as floods, wildfires and heat waves, as well as slow onset climate impacts like thawing permafrost and rising sea levels. These challenges affect the quality of life, health, environment and economy of these communities.
Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) supports coastal regions across Canada to adapt to a changing climate through its $41 million Climate-Resilient Coastal Communities (CRCC) Program (2023-2028) under the Government of Canada Adaptation Action Plan (GOCAAP) linked to the National Adaptation Strategy (NAS). The program funds integrated regional-scale pilot projects on Canada’s three marine coasts – Atlantic, Pacific, and North – and in the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence region to:
- enhance the climate resilience of coastal communities and businesses;
- develop and coordinate innovative adaptation actions to reduce climate change risks;
- work collaboratively on systems-based adaptation approaches; and
- develop guidance that can be implemented in other coastal regions.
The program recognizes the disproportionate impact of climate change on Indigenous, northern, and remote communities and aims to reduce barriers in accessing resources for their climate change adaptation initiatives.
Projects
CRCC pilot projects bring together partners from all levels of government, the private sector, Indigenous communities, academia, and non-governmental organizations. Working together at a regional scale to co-develop both short and long-term adaptation actions that are aligned and regionally integrated can create more effective and innovative solutions to reduce overall costs, offer co-benefits, and avoid maladaptation.
Pilot projects will be listed as they are officially announced.
| Proponent | Project | NRCan Contribution ($) | Total Project Value ($) | Project Summary | Province/Territory or Region |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Emergency Planning Secretariat | Lifelines in the Fraser Estuary: Taking Care of Each Other for a Climate Resilient Future | $1,791,265 | $2,304,265 | This project will develop priority adaptation actions and address climate risks from sea level rise, flooding and erosion to local essential services across the Fraser River Estuary. This work will increase the capacity, knowledge and engagement of communities to take coordinated short- and long-term adaptation action and will be driven by collaboration with First Nations and local governments. | British Columbia |
| ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability (Management) Inc. | British Columbia Southern Coastal Regional Climate Adaptations Collaborative | $1,557,900 | $2,249,900 | This project will address regional climate risks related to flooding, extreme weather and sea level rise within the southern coast of British Columbia by co-developing a climate adaptation action plan and a short-term implementation plan. This work will also include protecting species at risk, enhancing local biodiversity and addressing regional health concerns. | British Columbia |
| Vancouver Fraser Port Authority | Port of Vancouver Climate Adaptation Planning Project | $1,427,125 | $2,818,825 | This project will develop a climate adaptation plan for the Port of Vancouver that builds on substantial regional and port authority efforts to respond to climate change risks to port infrastructure and operations. It will consider social, economic and environmental dimensions and support the implementation of adaptation actions that increase the long-term resilience of port operations, regional supply chains, natural systems and neighbouring coastal communities. | British Columbia |
| Regional District of Nanaimo | Regional District of Nanaimo Coastal Climate Adaptation Strategy | $310,750 | $578,750 | This project will leverage previous modelling research of coastal flood hazards and risk assessments to support coastal climate resilience planning in the Regional District of Nanaimo. It will create an inclusive and collaborative resilience strategy for coastal climate change adaptation and preparedness by working with various levels of government, First Nations, shoreline property owners, businesses, and community members. | British Columbia |
| Aspen Global Change Institute | Global Leading Practices to Advance Coastal Adaptation in Canadian Communities | $99,253 | $191,143 | This project will share global leading practices from the United States, New Zealand/Australia, Latin America and Caribbean, and Asia related to regional-scale and integrated adaptation actions to inform solutions to sea level rise and related climate change challenges identified by Canadian practitioners. | Canada |
| CLIMAtlantic Inc. | Making Adaptation Count: Implementing Adaptation Pathways across the East Coast | $1,600,000 | $3,534,679 | This project will complete six case studies located across all four Atlantic Provinces and Îles-de-la-Madeleine, Quebec, by piloting the use of adaptation pathways approaches in planned or ongoing adaptation initiatives. The adaptation pathways approach will support the development and implementation of iterative and flexible actions that can respond to future changes and avoid decisions that lock in unsustainable actions. | Atlantic region |
| Commission de services régionaux Péninsule acadienne | Regional Adaptation Plan for the Acadian Peninsula | $1,403,672 | $1,942,872 | This project will develop a regional adaptation plan and provide climate change adaptation knowledge and skills for Acadian Peninsula communities by updating the erosion and flood risk zones, developing nature-based and hybrid solutions, and supporting municipal decision-makers with tools and resources to effectively implement inclusive adaptation measures. | New Brunswick |
| Government of Prince Edward Island | Development of Shoreline Management Plans to Increase Climate Resilience in Prince Edward Island | $1,100,000 | $2,269,630 | This project will develop shoreline management plans (SMPs) to reduce key climate change risks, including flooding, erosion, nature-based challenges and increased storm severity, for three littoral cell areas on Prince Edward Island. Each SMP will provide a detailed action plan and policy recommendations to address the sustainable management of the coastal zone and improving climate resiliency of coastal communities in Prince Edward Island. | Prince Edward Island |
| Clean Nova Scotia Foundation | Adapting Nova Scotia’s Shared Coastal Parks | $999,992 | $1,329,264 | This project will undertake climate change risks and vulnerability assessments for three coastal park regions in Nova Scotia and work with local organizations to conceptualize climate change adaptation, which could inform future planning in parks. This work will include detailed site plans that prioritize nature-based solutions as well as knowledge sharing and capacity building for the coastal parks sector. | Nova Scotia |
| Canadian Red Cross Society | Community-led Inclusive Resiliency: Climate Adaptation on Newfoundland and Labrador’s Southwest Coast | $889,720 | $1,246,772 | This project will take a whole-of-society and all-hazards approach to address physical, social and economic vulnerabilities to climate change risks in Newfoundland. It will develop and implement integrated community-led adaptation and disaster risk management plans and actions, integrating social and economic considerations as well as the unique circumstances of individuals and communities. | Newfoundland and Labrador |
| Atlantic Infrastructure Management Network | Coastal Resiliency Through Long-Term Service Delivery Planning | $880,872 | $1,174,494 | This project will bring together groups of municipalities (cohorts) in each Atlantic province to collaborate on regional-scale adaptation planning that can be put into action. Each municipal cohort will leverage municipal asset management and planning processes to integrate long-term climate change adaptation into plans, policies, regulations and actions. | Atlantic region |
| Passamaquoddy Recognition Group Inc. | Indigenous-led Climate Change Adaptation in the Passamaquoddy Bay | $800,000 | $1,310,601 | This project will coordinate adaptation actions between the Peskotomuhkati Nation at Skutik and partners in the Passamaquoddy Bay region to increase resilience to future climate change risks. This work will identify actions to protect archaeological sites of cultural, spiritual and historical importance from sea level rise and erosion and develop policies and regional land-use plans that incorporate Indigenous knowledge and future climate change risks to protect residential and municipal shorelines. | New Brunswick |
| Conservation Ontario | Adaptation to Coastal Hazards across the Great Lakes Region | $3,100,000 | $4,964,917 | This project will develop regional coastal resilience plans by working collaboratively with a broad range of stakeholders, including governments, Indigenous communities, businesses and experts, for three pilot project regions within the Great Lakes (Lake Huron, Lake Ontario, and Lake Superior). Each coastal resilience plan will identify adaptation actions, building on baseline science and risk assessments, to address climate change risks in these communities. | Ontario, Great Lakes |
| Zuzek Inc. | Pelee Coastal Climate Resilience and Adaptation Action Plan | $1,000,000 | $1,486,997 | This project will develop a coastal climate resilience and adaptation action plan in Point Pelee Peninsula in southwestern Ontario, a coastal community that is at risk from flooding, erosion and loss of coastal wetlands. Through the leadership of a multi-stakeholder Coastal Resilience Committee, this project will conduct a vulnerability assessment to future climate change impacts and co-develop integrated regional resilience plans and adaptation actions that are equitable, sustainable and transformative. | Ontario, Great Lakes |
Call for proposals: Coastal Communities Adaptation Toolkit
The CRCC program is providing funding for a new national coastal communities adaptation toolkit to improve access to coastal adaptation resources and tools that support informed decision-making and actions in coastal communities across Canada, including remote and Indigenous communities, and those most affected by climate change risks. A particular focus will be placed on end users with limited capacity and resources.
The program is launching a call for proposals to develop and pilot this toolkit, which aims to:
- provide coordinated and curated access to existing resources from government, academia, private sector, and non-government organizations; and
- support professionals, decision-makers, and policy-makers responsible for adaptation with integrating future climate change considerations into policies, plans, and actions to increase climate resilience.
Funding
Up to a total of $2 million in contribution funding may be awarded for a project starting February 1, 2025, and concluding on or before March 31, 2028.
Deadline for applications
The call for proposals is now closed.
Contact us
If you have any questions about this program, please contact us at: adaptation@nrcan-rncan.gc.ca.
Related links
- Practice Guide for Advancing Climate Equity in Coastal Climate Change Adaptation
- Good Practices for Integrated Climate Change Adaptation in Canadian Coastal Communities
- Explore more climate change and coastal management reports, tools, videos and websites
- Climate Change Adaptation Program (CCAP)
- Canada’s Climate Change Adaptation Platform / Coastal Management Working Group
- Canada in a Changing Climate: National Assessment Process
- Canada’s National Adaptation Strategy
- Government of Canada Adaptation Action Plan (GOCAAP)
- Canada Invests in Climate Change Adaptation to Keep Communities Safe in British Columbia and Across Canada - Canada.ca
- Canada Invests in Climate Change Adaptation to Keep Communities Safe in Atlantic Canada - Canada.ca
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