Nowadays, a simple examination of the almost uninterrupted continuation of growth of CO2 equivalents emissions yearly accumulating in the Earth system shows that, unless an extremely improbable reversal of the trend happens, the 2 degree C limitation target for the end of the 21st century will be missed. Therefore, climate change is having and will have tremendous effects, and populations are and will be diversely affected. Assuming this (and letting on the side the eventuality of risky climate engineering essays), the populations of poorer and richer countries (with specific people having to coordinate some social and political process about it) certainly need to adapt in a proactive and prepared way to the upcoming changes, while not renouncing or diminishing efforts at mitigation. There is a justice issue involved, since with no planning of adaptation, populations would deprive themselves, their descendants or future inhabitants of the territory of certain goods: the security of living a quiet life in your own apartment and chosen surroundings, for instance.
With my co-researcher Isabelle Thomas, I started an action-research project currently conducted (2017-2020) in the southern part of Québec province, Canada, with and about the MRC Memphrémagog. It is funded by the Ouranos climatology consortium, the Canadian MITACS program, the involved MRC and Centre Sève, an inter-university biology network. We are implementing and studying at the same time a structured involvement of stakeholders in the required discussion with the regional political actors. The project was devised as a means to co-construct an adaptation strategy susceptible to be adopted and implemented by the relevant actors. The aim is to document the process of governance with its successes and failure, while following tools in socio-territorial vulnerability analysis aiming at reinforcing resilience. After one year of work, the strategy and issues will be explained and discussed, along with results obtained at that time.
