BC Launches Indigenous Climate-Resilience Capacity-Building Pilot Program
The BC Climate Preparedness and Adaptation Strategy has provided $2 million to fund a one-year pilot program that will be delivered by two First Nations organizations with experience delivering environmental programs: the Coastal First Nations-Great Bear Initiative (CFN-GBI) and First Nations Emergency Services Society. The province has worked with Indigenous advisory groups to develop this pilot project to provide community supports, such as mentorship, knowledge products, adaptation training and a learning network to advance Indigenous climate resilience.
The scope of the pilot program consists of three streams, focused on:
- climate-resilience staffing
- training and education delivery
- peer-to-peer network building
The first stream, or braid, will provide resources for regional climate-resilience coordinators who will be in place to support Indigenous communities throughout BC. The second braid will provide these new coordinators with training and skills that can be passed along to community members to support Indigenous communities to understand and prepare for climate change. Lastly, the third braid of the program will create a peer network and mentorship program for the regional coordinators to develop their capacity and share information that will help them better serve Indigenous communities.