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Climatic and Environmental Changes Affecting Communities in Atlantic Canada

Author

Listed:
  • Liette Vasseur

    (Department of Biological Sciences, Brock University, 1812 Sir Isaac Brock Way, St. Catharines, ON L2S 3A1, Canada)

  • Mary Thornbush

    (Department of Geography, Brock University, 1812 Sir Isaac Brock Way, St. Catharines, ON L2S 3A1, Canada)

  • Steve Plante

    (Département de développement régional et territorial, Université du Québec à Rimouski, 300, Allée des Ursulines, Rimouski, QC G5L 3A1, Canada)

Abstract

Small rural coastal communities located in Atlantic Canada are vulnerable to the effects of climate and environmental changes. Major storms have impounded the coastline, causing much physical damage and affecting the socioeconomics of these communities that are composed of an aging population. The current study relays findings based on interviews completed in 2011–2012, following the 2010 winter storms in Atlantic Canada. It portrays the physical and social–ecological impacts affecting 10 coastal communities located in the provinces of Québec, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island. Semi-structured interviews held in these provinces are the basis for the contributions of this research. The findings reveal physical changes related to coastal erosion from high-wave impacts and storm surge causing flooding of the coastal zone. Also considered are strategies preferred and actually implemented by residents, such as building of protection walls, although undesirable. Due to funding constraints, however, many of these large-scale flood protection projects are not possible without governmental support. Instead, it is suggested that development be controlled and some respondents in this study upheld that relocation be used to alleviate the situation. Finally, more work is required to improve emergency planning. Better concerted short- and long-term responses need to be coordinated by local authorities and higher up in the government in order to ensure the sustainability of these coastal communities.

Suggested Citation

  • Liette Vasseur & Mary Thornbush & Steve Plante, 2017. "Climatic and Environmental Changes Affecting Communities in Atlantic Canada," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(8), pages 1-10, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:9:y:2017:i:8:p:1293-:d:105838
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. P. Sheik Mujabar & N. Chandrasekar, 2013. "Coastal erosion hazard and vulnerability assessment for southern coastal Tamil Nadu of India by using remote sensing and GIS," Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, Springer;International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, vol. 69(3), pages 1295-1314, December.
    2. Simon L. Lewis & Mark A. Maslin, 2015. "Defining the Anthropocene," Nature, Nature, vol. 519(7542), pages 171-180, March.
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    Cited by:

    1. Mary Thornbush, 2017. "Physical Geography and Environmental Sustainability," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(12), pages 1-5, November.
    2. Liette Vasseur & Mary J. Thornbush & Steve Plante, 2022. "Engaging Communities in Adaptation to Climate Change by Understanding the Dimensions of Social Capital in Atlantic Canada," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(9), pages 1-13, April.
    3. Jiayang Li & Xinqi Zheng & Chunxiao Zhang & Youmin Chen, 2018. "Impact of Land-Use and Land-Cover Change on Meteorology in the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei Region from 1990 to 2010," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(1), pages 1-22, January.

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