The city is looking to residents for help informing decision-making around climate issues.
Lethbridge is working to create a Climate Adaptation Strategy and Action Plan, which will guide policy and action for extreme weather and changing climate conditions.
“We’re asking the community through our online survey, how we can best support them in taking actions to ‘weatherproof’ our future,” says Raene Barber, sustainability engineer for the City’s waste and environment department. “Some of the recommended actions in the survey are things like providing more urban canopies by planting climate-resilient trees along streets. These canopies help provide shade in neighbourhoods and can even reduce the rising temperatures experienced in your home during the summer.”
An initial survey this summer helped to develop questions for this time. The current survey asks residents what they believe should be done about extreme heat, drought, wildfire smoke and invasive species.
“We want to thank those people who gave their feedback on the vision and guiding principles of the Climate Adaptation Strategy and Action Plan earlier this year. The feedback shaped the strategic direction of the plan in addition to developing the community risk assessment and the actions we can take as an organization to support our community,” says Barber.
The survey is open until Nov. 29.