Adaptation and Resilience
Durham’s Community Climate Adaptation Plan sets out a vision, goals and actions to help Durham Region adapt to climate change. This strategy was developed in collaboration with Durham Region, local municipalities, Conservation Authorities, energy utilities, and other local stakeholders to make positive change on climate issues. Bringing a “whole of society approach” means working with many different sectors, including infrastructure, buildings, natural systems, agriculture, health, and social services.
| Tree Planting |
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Durham and the conservation authorities launched Durham TREES, a subsidized rural tree-planting program. The Region and local area municipalities have partnered with LEAF (Local Enhancement and Appreciation of Forests) on a subsidized Backyard Tree Planting Program for homes, multi-unit building and commercial property owners in participating municipalities. Resources:
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Learn about how you can prepare yourself for flooding on the Flood Ready Durham website. Resources: |
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Future Climate |
| Adaptation planning uses climate modelling to forecast our future climate. In 2019, Durham Region updated the climate modelling to project our short, medium, and long-term forecasts. Read the full climate change projections report here.
Based on the climate modelling results, Durham Region is expected to see:
Durham is working with conservation authorities and local area municipalities to enhance natural capital, build climate resilience in the natural environment, and enhance the urban forest. Durham worked with TRCA to develop a Natural System Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment to inform Durham Region’s Natural Heritage System (NHS) science, policy, and planning. Recent watershed planning for the TRCA Carruthers Creek Watershed Plan incorporates climate change into the process. The impacts of climate change are already being felt by communities in Durham Region. Updated climate modeling projections for Durham Region indicate that these impacts will become more intense and severe over the coming decades. Several local area municipalities have developed cross-sector Adaptation and Resilience Plans to identify local climate risks, vulnerabilities, and solutions, including: City of Pickering, Town of Ajax, Town of Whitby, and Municipality of Clarington. Resources:
Durham Climate Community Adaptation Plan Practitioner Webinar Series (2021): Ecosystem services tools:
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Extreme Heat |
| According to recent climate projections, the number of extreme heat days, heat waves, and urban heat islands Durham experiences are expected to increase in the future.
Resources: Learn more by watching this video: |
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Agriculture |
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[Optional paragraph to add]: Climate change is already affecting farming in Durham Region—bringing more extreme weather, shifting seasons, and new challenges. The Agriculture Sector Climate Adaptation Strategy outlines how local farmers and communities can adapt through smarter water use, soil care, and sustainable practices. Agriculture isn’t just impacted by climate change—it’s also part of the solution. Growing Resilience, the Durham Region Agriculture Sector Climate Adaptation Strategy, will help Durham’s agricultural community proactively adapt to climate change. The strategy identifies risks, presents programs and tools, and outlines an action plan to help Durham’s agricultural sector remain resilient. Resources: Durham Climate Community Adaptation Plan Practitioner Webinar Series (2021): |
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