Increasing resilience in Rural British Columbia through nature-based solutions and trade-offs

Rural communities are more vulnerable to climate change shocks and stresses due to community-based vulnerabilities associated with low and ageing populations, out-migration of youth, less funding distribution, and less access to skill based human resources. As a result of these vulnerabilities, the ability for local governments to be prepared to address localized impacts of climate change is limited, contributing to reduced resilience. This research examines the rising uncertainties related to climate risk and stressors in rural British Columbia communities, offering recommendations to guide planners, and academics on how to more effectively apply and use the concepts of NbS and trade-offs to achieve increased resilience. To understand existing planning and environmental practices in local government, literature reviews, a qualitative survey, and document analysis were conducted. The literature review provided the academic understanding of NbS, trade-offs and relevant environmental planning concepts that support resilience. While some of the findings confirmed existing understandings of vulnerabilities faced by rural communities, which impact their ability to establish greater resilience, findings indicate that NbS are used by rural BC communities for addressing hazard risk or natural assets. However greater initiative from planning practitioners is needed to not only meet their professional obligations to communities, but to also guide the transition of planning policy in local government. While the concept of trade-offs are understood broadly in the academic world, in the scope of planning strategic decision making is more commonly used. Therefore terminology needs to be adjusted for the rural context and directed at decision makers for more effective applications, and trade-offs that better represent rural needs. The findings were used to supplement a set of recommendations that can contribute to the application and implementation of NbS and trade-offs in local government, and possible future academic work based on information gaps found during this research. The recommendations direct rural planners to more effectively apply their skills and planning practice to capture a broader range of NbS in policy and strategic documents, and weaving these concepts into the corporate level of governance. Two new trade-off dimensions of finance and values were developed, which capture rural priorities based on the literature review and survey responses, and implementing financial valuation of natural assets into corporate strategic decision making. Since capacity was noted in the literature review as a critical issue for rural communities, and the survey results showing the same, strengthening internal capacity was also recommended.