Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 2414 | 2016 lake StewardS newSletter looking Forward In 2016 it is quite apparent that the water conditions we face tomorrow will be different than those we faced yesterday. Climate change will affect many aspects of community planning, resource management and public services. This meansthattheperspectivesusedtoplanforourinfrastructure, thewayweresourceandexecutesocialandhealthprograms, andhowweeffectivelycommunicateimportantandpressing information needs to be adapted to a new reality. Though rural waterfront residents are only one of the affected parties in water management planning, they nonethelesshaveinformationandconcernstoconveytoour water managers, and also have a real physical stake in many flood-prone areas of the province. Waterfront residents’ perspectives on water management, and what effective emergency communications look like, are rooted in their local knowledge, and in understanding their property and that their family’s safety is at risk. FOCA asks again: Why has MnRF closed the door on the water management conversation? This unacceptable delay undermines public confidence in the water management work of the Province, and may unnecessarily put private property, public infrastructure, and public safety at risk. The Muskoka Watershed Council recently released a report: Planning for Climate Change in Muskoka. Detailed background and future climate projections further highlight the need for sound emergency response and communications for this region. See: http://www.muskokawatershed.org/wp-content/ uploads/ClimateChange_Muskoka-2016.pdf. A Regional Perspective Measuring Climate Impacts NotesfromastudyconductedonbehalfoftheInsurance Bureau of Canada: The Economic Impacts of the Weather Effects of Climate Change on Communities (2015), by the Ontario Centre for Climate Impacts and Adaptation Resources, among others: • Trends such as the frequency and intensity of climate- related extreme events are expected to increase, as will the damage and losses resulting from their impacts. Losses from severe weather have been rising across the country. In 2011, the Canadian insurance industry paid out a record $1.7 billion for property damage associated with major weather events such as flooding, wind and wildfires. This record was broken in 2013, when the insured losses from flooding damage contributed to a total loss value of $3.2 billion. • These losses demonstrate that Canadians are vulnerable to climate-related extreme events, compounded by an increased exposure of property, and aging infrastructure. Reducing the vulnerability of communities to such losses requires an understanding of the potential magnitude of the impacts and the associated expected costs at a community-specific level. • The vulnerability and impacts of climate-related extreme events on human settlements and ecosystems is influenced by a range of factors including economic, social, geographic, demographic, cultural, institutional, governance, and environmental conditions. • Thesefactorsvaryacrosstimeandspace,whichmeans that vulnerability and hence the risk of impacts from climate-related extreme events vary. All of this speaks to the need to assess the potential losses from and responses to extreme events on a community-by- community basis. • Canada’s first report card on municipal infrastructure was released in 2012, and indicated 30% of municipal infrastructure in Canada (wastewater, drinking water, storm water and roads) was rated as ‘fair’ or ‘very poor.’ For more, including a link to the 200 page report, visit: http://www.ibc.ca/nb/resources/media-centre/ media-releases/new-study-estimates-future-costs-of- climate-change.