This month, many rural Ottawa residents have faced unpredictable access to water as their wells dried up following an especially dry summer. Local conservation authorities have also put out low water level advisories, warning residents with private wells to conserve water as best they can. We are grateful for the rain today as the newsletter goes to press.
Recently, Ottawa's Environment and Climate Change Committee discussed Climate Ready Ottawa, the City's long-awaited climate resiliency strategy. The droughts that rural Ottawans have experienced are a timely example of what we have to prepare for as the climate emergency intensifies.
Global warming alters weather patterns, as seen this summer, and the consequences can seriously disrupt people's lives. It's imperative that the City has a strategy to effectively respond to these climate-induced stresses, hardships and emergencies when they happen, and support the residents most affected.
CAFES has been involved in consultations for Climate Ready Ottawa for several years, and consider the strategy a major step forward since the City of Ottawa declared a climate emergency in 2019. However, one area where the strategy should be strengthened is in further leveraging nature-based solutions to build climate resiliency, including for droughts.
Nature-based solutions employ natural or modified ecosystems to increase resilience, using existing properties of these ecosystems to prevent or mitigate climate disasters. For example, restoring native trees and vegetation improves soil quality and water retention. Wetlands also provide natural water storage, allowing them to recharge the groundwater levels that rural private wells depend on.
Working with existing ecosystems is an extremely efficient way to build resiliency against climate disasters such as floods or droughts. We will continue to assist the City of Ottawa in implementing the most sustainable and effective climate resiliency strategies.
