Federal Funding is supporting a study on natural assets and climate resilience in Barrhead County.
As announced on Aug. 12, the county is receiving $70,000 from Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) and the Federation of Canadian Municipalities through the Green Municipal Fund’s Local Leadership for Climate Adaptation initiative for “valuing natural assets for climate resilience.”
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Read more: County of Barrhead to receive federal funding for climate resilience
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As the county’s Director of Rural Development, Dawn Fedorvich, explained, the project involves cataloguing its natural assets, such as green spaces, riparian areas, wetlands and forests, and how they may be used to mitigate climate change effects.
For example, Fedorvich said, wetlands act as sponges, absorbing water in wet years and slowly releasing it into the environment during dry spells, while riparian areas filter sediments before they reach lakes and rivers.
“All of these services that nature provides are really valuable and can help us mitigate, or at least be more prepared for, floods, fires and other weather-related events that may occur now in the municipality,” she added.
Speaking anecdotally, Fedorvich said she believes the county may have more wetland space than neighbouring regions. The county also has three rivers crossing through, which she said are strong assets.
Additionally, “We do have a lot of forested area in our county as well; those tree stands and the value they have for climate resilience is something we’re hoping to discover,” she commented.
While the county was taking a proactive approach when it applied for this grant funding in 2024, excess rainfall amounts this June underscored the need for such a project.
“Lakes are higher, rivers have been flowing more; lowland areas, they’ve been flooding,” Fedorvich reflected.
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Related:
- Road closures in effect in Barrhead County due to heavy rain
- Update: Water restriction in effect for Town of Barrhead
- Whitecourt records 44 millimetres of rain over weekend
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Fortunately, the work to mitigate these challenges is already underway; the project began this summer, focusing on cataloguing and classifying all county-owned land and conducting public engagement on green space use.
Fedorvich said the next steps include conducting a climate risk assessment, which evaluates potential climate impacts to infrastructure, the ecosystem and the community, followed by a climate adaptation strategy to prioritize higher-risk sites.
The project is expected to conclude by the end of 2027, and findings will be presented to council along the way, starting this fall.
