WhiteCAP_Plan_01SEPT..

Northern Climate ExChange WhiteCAP Draft Plan
The use of spatial information in this report has been largely to inform the observations
provided to us by the community and by the Local and Technical Advisory Committees.
Quantitative information has therefore not played a significant role in the planning
process. In part our reliance on qualitative data has arisen due to the emphasis on local
and technical knowledge in the plan. Quantitative data has also been challenging to
integrate due to the broad nature and suite of issues that this plan addresses. As
uncertainty is addressed and additional information becomes available, it is likely that a
greater emphasis can be placed quantitative information in the adaptation planning
process. It is encouraged that quantitative information should be integrated into future
versions of this adaptation plan as opportunity allows.
3
This uncertainty is compounded when the large resolution and level of error in the model is
refined or downscaled to a scale suitable for regional planning. Global Climate Model (GCM) grid
cells are typically 1° to 5º latitude and longitude in size. Downscaling introduces error into the
climate model by interpolating the implications of climate change a regional scale. It has also
been observed that a polar amplification of the influence of greenhouse gas emissions and other
variables influencing climate occurs in GCMs. This amplification varies with each GCM and some
projections of climate change in northern regions or more robust. The performance of the GCM
over the broader north correlates to their performance over Greenland and Alaska. Some level of
error is associated with all GCM projections (Walsh et al, 2008).
4
The Project Team presented at two Council and Senior Management (CASM) sessions in the
spring of 2009. The City of Whitehorse (COW) provided official approval for staff participation in
the project at an official council meeting in the summer of 2009. [also meeting with Ta’an lands
group in summer 2010]
5
The Whitehorse Technical Advisory Committee is made up of professionals from within and
outside the community. The mandate of the Technical Advisory Committee is to provide
academic and professional support for the adaptation planning process through the integration of
local and scientific knowledge.
8