**** CNS Media Release
Calling all coastal property owners in Nova Scotia. The Government of Nova Scotia wants to hear from you about how to work together to safeguard our coast, and the homes and other places on it. While this consultation is mainly for coastal property owners, we welcome input from all Nova Scotians.
Climate change and coastal protection: consultation
Nova Scotia is feeling the impacts of climate change. Stronger and more frequent storms, coastal flooding and erosion, rising sea levels, storm surge and warming ocean temperatures are all having an effect on the province’s coastline. Coastal property owners are invited to share their ideas on how to safeguard our coastline, including natural areas, homes, buildings and people, from the effects of climate change.
About the consultation
With 13,000 kilometres of coastline, Nova Scotia is vulnerable to the effects of climate change. Climate change puts natural areas, people, homes and buildings near the coast at risk. And people who live along the coastline are already experiencing the impacts.
We need to re-think how we develop our coastline to better protect our homes, communities, natural areas and each other.
Coastal property owners in Nova Scotia are invited to share their ideas and concerns about how governments, communities and property owners should work together to plan and adapt development along the coastline.
Get informed
Learn more about how climate change is impacting Nova Scotia, legislation to protect the coastline and government’s plan to protect coastal communities.
- Our Climate, Our Future – Nova Scotia’s Climate Change Plan for Clean Growth (PDF) – government’s climate change plan, which outlines 68 actions to protect communities and respond to climate change, including coastal flood risks
- Weathering What’s Ahead – Climate Change Risk and Nova Scotia’s Wellbeing (PDF) – what you can expect to happen as a result of climate change, if you don’t take action
- Coastal Protection Act (PDF) – legislation introduced in 2019 (but not proclaimed) to protect the coastline by placing restrictions on coastal property owners
Building near the coast
Building on or near the coast, with climate change in mind, involves many different people. For example:
- property owners, who make investment decisions on where and how they want to build
- professionals (like architects, engineers, construction workers, real estate agents, surveyors, geologists, insurance companies and others), who make sure that standards are met and provide information, advice and guidance to property owners
- municipalities, which regulate development through zoning and by-laws, municipal planning and building permit approvals processes
- provincial government, which sets building codes and standards, provides climate change impact information and puts in place legislation, policy and programs to support climate action
- federal government, which provides climate change impact information and puts in place legislation, policy and programs to support climate action
- academia and research organizations (like CLIMAtlantic), which provide research and tools that property owners can use to make informed decisions when building
How to participate
You can participate by taking a survey.
Take the survey
Provide your feedback through the online survey by 7 November 2023.
You can also send your feedback to coastalconsultation@novascotia.ca or provide feedback by mail.
You can only complete the survey once per device (phone, tablet or computer). If you or other people who use the same device have more feedback, send your additional feedback to coastalconsultation@novascotia.ca.
Resources for property owners
If you own coastal property, here are resources and planning tools to help you plan for the effects of climate change:
- Coastal Adaptation Toolkit – The toolkit to help Atlantic rural coastal communities and property owners plan for the effects of climate change
- Climate Change Nova Scotia – Infographics on climate impacts, risk assessment reports and actions that the Government of Nova Scotia is taking to protect coastal communities
- Climate data for a resilient Canada – Sea level rise projections for coastal locations and high-resolution climate data to help decision makers build a more resilient Canada
Next steps
Feedback will be reviewed by government and help determine next steps to better safeguard our coastal natural areas, people, homes and buildings.
More information about the consultation
You can send questions about the climate change and coastal protection consultation to coastalconsultation@novascotia.ca.
