Lunenburg Part 1 - Introduction and Background August 30.pdf

identify actual and opportunities for exchange and collaboration within municipal
government; and
identify actual and potential opportunities for exchange and collaboration between
and through the capacity that exists from awareness among municipal staff.
Methodology and Approach
The Municipality of the District of Lunenburg provides a case study that highlights the numerous
climate change challenges facing a coastal rural municipality, as well as an illustration of the
approaches to data, information, and interpretations that similar municipalities can collect and
compile to assess their approaches to climate change through adaptation. We worked closely
with the planners and technical staff of the Municipality as well as several municipal officials. As
a project partner, the Municipality’s role was to support the logistical needs of the projects.
We began our work in May 2011 and concluded in March 2012. The following is a brief overview
of the study context and the general approach used. The methods for each study are described
in detail in the component sections of this report.
Broadly defined, when also considering a review of municipal capacity, the study area for the
Lunenburg area ACAS projects comprises the whole of the District of Lunenburg. Practically,
however, our work focused on, or was largely interpreted within, the context of a 149 square
kilometer swath of coastline for which LiDAR data had been collected. The swath extends from
Broad Cove in the west to the eastern boundary of the municipality, as shown in Figure 2. The
ACAS initiative mandate in Nova Scotia was to build capacity to adapt to climate change induced
coastal and inland flooding. The Province acquired high resolution terrain mapping of the section
of coast line using LiDAR technology 2 , shown in Figure 2. This mapping allows for detailed
modeling of sea level rise and storm surge flood elevation scenarios and investigation of the
potential impacts to physical infrastructure, valued community assets, natural environments and
land use in this coastal zone.
The LiDAR swath covers much, but not all, of the municipality’s coastline. It does not extend up
the LaHave River estuary and it excludes some coastal communities and islands: Heckmans
Island, West and East Stonehurst, Blue Rocks, Tancook Island and other smaller islands in
Mahone Bay, Moshers Island, and Cherry Hill, Voglers Cove and the LaHave Islands at the
western extent of the Municipality. (Figure 2 identifies the coastal communities of the
Municipality).The coastal towns of Lunenburg and Mahone Bay are separate municipalities and
did not participate in the ACAS study.
We used a mixed methods approach employing a combination of quantitative and qualitative
data collection and analysis techniques. The methods (and data forms and sources) included:
Esri ArcGIS v. 10 supported spatial analysis of sea level rise and storm flood extents
(LiDAR mapping) and their interaction with built and natural environment features (digital
line, point and polygon data of municipal infrastructure, obtained from the partner
municipality);
community table-top mapping workshops and engagement booths (locating social
assets);
2 Webster et al., 2011
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