NS lost at sea on coastal plan
Strategy oft delayed, but climate change waits for no one
By ASHLEY SPRAGUE
Crumbling coastal infrastructure, eroding coastal properties, rising sea levels and severe storms have made headlines across Nova Scotia in recent months. What is the Nova Scotia government doing to adapt to the changing climate and protect our vulnerable coastline? Surprisingly little, considering the enormous risk and cost at stake.
The province continues to put homes, infrastructure, people and important habitats at risk by still allowing building permits to be issued along some of the most high-risk sections of shoreline. Imagine finally purchasing a beautiful coastal property, going through all the necessary permitting requirements and building your dream home only to realize that it is not going to stand the test of time.
It is not only new developments that are at risk. As each storm washes away coastal lands, property owners are being forced to make extremely difficult decisions. Some are able relocate their homes by moving them further from shore. Many are opting to defend their property by building seawalls, which are only temporary solutions and have been shown to cause more harm than good in many areas. Others face the very real possibility of losing a cherished home.
It is time for the province to make a clear commitment to better protect and manage our coast. Reasonable setbacks must be established, leaving room for the coast to migrate and function as a natural buffer during extreme weather events. The current federal-provincial-municipal tangle of conflicting coastal jurisdictions must be straightened out. Coastal landowners need information on best practices to manage coastal erosion. Coastal communities, which clearly have the most at stake, need to be empowered to take a leadership role in determining their own futures. We are far from the first jurisdiction to face these challenges. But we are far behind places like New Brunswick and New England where governments have been proactive and implemented strong coastal policies.
The province is currently developing a Sustainable Coastal Development Strategy. Although the draft strategy was due for release in April 2011, it has again been delayed. The severe storms predicted by climate change models are now a grim reality in Nova Scotia and we cannot afford to wait much longer.
The strategy is an opportunity for the province to clearly state what can and cannot take place on our coastline. Will it be enough to help Nova Scotia adapt to climate change? We won’t know until we see it, but continuing to delay the release of the strategy is clearly not an option.
Ashley Sprague is the acting coastal co-ordinator at the Ecology Action Centre.