Community Profile | City of Prince George

In 2007 the City of Prince George worked with the University of Northern BC (UNBC) and other partners to identify the most significant local impacts of climate change and ways to address them.

Climate projections by the Pacific Climate Impacts Consortium show that Prince George and the surrounding region is likely to warm by 1.6°C to 2.5°C by the 2050s, and local precipitation is likely to increase by 3% to 10%, with more as rainfall than snow.

Milder winters were a key factor in the severe mountain pine beetle infestation, which left vast tracks of dead pine forest across BC’s central interior. The City also faced winter and freshet flood threats in 2007-2008.

The report Adapting to Climate Change in Prince George: An Overview of Adaptation Priorities (2009) summarizes climate change projections, impacts, strategies and potential adaptation actions for Prince George, and outlines 11 focus areas for adaptation planning. Forests, flood and transportation infrastructure topped the list of concerns.

To prepare for current and future impacts, City has incorporated climate change adaptation into its MyPG sustainability plan and its new Official Community Plan.

Here are resources that sum up the PG experience:

• City of Prince George adaptation case study
• Adapting to Climate Change in Prince George: An Overview of Adaptation Priorities (2009)
  
• Prince George Natural Areas and the Effects of Climate Change (2012)
• Prince George Climate Adaptation video series (2012)

Prince George is now taking actions to:

• address changes in forests in municipal parks and surrounding natural areas
• assess how to better design and maintain roads for changing conditions
• examine climate change and local sensitive ecosystems
• analyze freeze-thaw cycles and precipitation events.

Other projects are to explore agricultural opportunities associated with a longer growing season, stormwater management, and actions that support mitigation and adaptation.

Photo courtesy of the Province of BC