Coastal climate change

Our coast. Our future. Nova Scotians are feeling the impacts of climate change and we need to re-think coastal development to protect our homes, communities and natural areas.

Nova Scotia's 13,000-kilometre coastline is vulnerable to climate change, which increases risks of erosion, flooding, storm surges and rising sea levels. To live safely by the ocean, coastal property owners, governments, communities and businesses need rethink coastal development to protect homes, communities, and natural areas.

Whether you live by the coast now or plan to build there someday, understanding and mitigating these risks is crucial for current and future coastal residents. Information and tools are available to help make informed decisions and ensure safety. It's time to come together and take action to protect ourselves and our environment as we adapt to climate change.

What coastal property owners need to know and do

Buying or building a property is one of the biggest, most important decisions we make in our lives. There’s a lot to consider to make sure your home is safe, functional and meets your needs. It’s a long-term investment that deserves to be protected.

Property owners and communities along our coasts must take the extra steps to prepare and stay safe from coastal erosion, flooding, storms and rising sea level.

Resources to support Nova Scotians

Resources and planning tools to help you plan for the effects of climate change:

Safeguarding Your Coastal Property: A guide to protecting your property and promoting healthy coastlines in the face of climate change (PDF)
Nature-Based Solutions Guide (PDF) – learn how restoring, enhancing or mimicking natural processes can help reduce the impacts of coastal erosion and flooding
Coastal Hazard Map – See what sea level rise and storm surge could look like today and in the years 2050 and 2100 with the online mapping tool; the mapping tool provides information on how Nova Scotia’s coastline is changing, coastal hazards and more to help you make informed decisions
- Coastal Hazard Map
- Coastal Hazard Map: Video Tutorial
- Coastal Hazard Map: User Guide (PDF)
- Request for a Coastal Hazard Assessment Report – This report gives insight into potential coastal flooding and erosion for any coastal property in Nova Scotia
Navigators – Our team of Navigators can help you use the Coastal Hazard Mapping Tool and understand your results (the team will also support new information as it’s rolled out through mapping tool); contact the navigators at coastalnavigator@novascotia.ca or 1-888-570-4240
Coastal Adaptation Toolkit – The toolkit helps Atlantic rural coastal communities and property owners plan for the effects of climate change
Climate Change Nova Scotia – Get a better understanding of climate impacts, risk assessment reports and actions that the Government of Nova Scotia is taking to protect coastal communities
Climate data for a resilient Canada – Sea level rise projections for coastal locations and high-resolution climate data to help decision makers build a more resilient Canada
Support for Realtors – These resources provide guidance to realtors and their clients in Nova Scotia to make informed decisions when considering a coastal property purchase
- A Guide to Buying a Coastal Home in Nova Scotia: Video Guide
- Checklist for Buying a Coastal Home in Nova Scotia (PDF)
For Municipalities – These resources provide links to example municipal planning strategy and land use by-law content that municipalities can use to incorporate coastal protection into planning documents

Understanding our coastal environment

Natural areas along the coast benefit everyone. They can help protect homes and communities from rising sea level, strong winds and waves. They also reduce the impacts of coastal flooding.

Our coastal wetlands capture and store carbon, which helps us respond to climate change. They provide habitats for plants and animals, helping to protect biodiversity and species at risk. They support our fishery industries by giving fish and other sea creatures shelter and by supporting nursery habitats for species important to Nova Scotia.

When coastal property owners work with nature to reduce the effects of coastal erosion and flooding, we all benefit.

Right now, about 13% of Nova Scotia's coastline is protected from development inside provincial parks, wilderness areas, nature reserves, national parks, national wildlife areas and in land owned and managed by conservation land trusts, including Mi’kmaq organizations.

As we continue our work to achieve our goal of protecting 20% of our land and water, this number will increase. To help meet our goal, the Parks and Protected Areas Plan contains additional coastal sites committed for protection and the Collaborative Protected Areas Strategy commits to expanding the network of protected and conserved areas, some of which will be identified along the coast.

We all have a role to play

People building on or near the coast must consider climate change risks. Taking informed action is everyone’s responsibility. Building on or near the coast, with climate change in mind, involves many different people. For example:

property owners make investments and decisions on where and how they want to build or adapt their homes and properties
municipalities help create climate-resilient communities by considering climate change in their approach to zoning, land-use planning, by-laws and the criteria they use to issue building permits
professionals (like architects, engineers, contractors, real estate agents, surveyors, geologists, insurance companies and others) make sure that standards are met and provide information, advice and guidance to property owners
provincial government sets building codes and standards, provides climate change impact information and leads Nova Scotia’s response to climate change policy
federal government provides climate change impact information and puts in place legislation, policy and programs to support climate action
academia and research organizations (like CLIMAtlantic) provide research and tools that property owners can use to make informed decisions when building or renovating their homes and properties

Global issue

Climate change is impacting every part of our world – including our coastlines.

We know that parts of our coast will look very different 25, 50, 100 years from now. Rising global temperatures mean rising sea levels. When added to storm surges and high tides, the result is more intense flooding and erosion in coastal regions in every corner of the world.

Across the globe, people, homes and the environment are at risk. Climate change is the most pressing issue facing the global community, and it requires a global response.

Leading climate action

Nova Scotia is taking strong action in response to climate change. As a national leader on climate action, we’re:

leading the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions in Canada and are well on our way to meeting our 2030 greenhouse gas emissions reduction target of 53% below 2005 levels – the strongest target in the country
developing a vision to be become a national and global clean energy leader
working to protect 20% of our land and water by 2030
supporting community-led local leadership to respond to climate change through programs like the Sustainable Communities Challenge Fund, which has already committed more than $1.5 million to coastal protection projects across the province

Related legislation

Environmental Goals and Climate Change Reduction Act (PDF)