Adapting to the impacts of climate change

What we're committed to:

  • Being highly resilient to the impacts of climate change by 2030. 

What we're doing to adapt to climate change

We completed the first Climate Risk Assessment for the Yukon in 2022. This is a significant step to identify local and regional climate impacts and plan our response.  The Climate Risk Assessment report, titled, Assessing Climate Change Risk and Resilience in the Yukon:

  • reviewed past and projected climate change impacts;
  • developed a framework for climate resilience in the Yukon;
  • identified areas where climate risks are significant and where we're already taking action; and
  • recommended ways to build on Our Clean Future.

We're using this assessment to address priority areas. These include: 

  • transportation infrastructure; 
  • floods and fires; 
  • permafrost thaw; 
  • ecosystems and biodiversity; 
  • changing conditions on the land; 
  • health and wellbeing; and 
  • economy and livelihoods. 
wildfire

Preparing for wildfires

The Yukon, Canada and the rest of the world are experiencing wildfires more frequently and with greater intensity. We're taking steps to improve our preparation and capacity to manage wildfires in the Yukon. We're adapting to this climate change impact by: 

  •  increasing the capacity of our wildland fire teams to prepare for and respond to increased wildfire threats; 
  •  focusing on proactive wildfire preparation by undertaking FireSmart and fuel treatment work; and
  •  developing community wildfire protection plans for communities across the Yukon.   

Learn more about the Government of Yukon’s wildfire preparation and response. 

flood

Preparing for floods

The Yukon is also experiencing greater flood risk. This is due to changing conditions on the land, including changes to snow, water and ice and shorter frozen seasons with less predictable conditions. We're taking steps to increase our preparation and capacity to manage flood events in the Yukon. We're adapting to this climate change impact by:

  • improving how we share our information with you by launching a new flood atlas where you can see flooding information by region; 
  • improving our flood forecasting tools and developing community flood maps for all flood-prone Yukon communities; 
  • assessing past flood events to learn from and make improvements to our flood response; and
  • identifying ways to improve the climate resilience of our buildings to climate impacts such as flooding. 

Learn more about the Government of Yukon’s flood preparation and response.  
 

Aerial view of a permafrost slump beside a highway

Preparing for permafrost thaw

Permafrost thaw is a climate change impact affecting communities in northern Canada. Permafrost thaw can damage infrastructure, including buildings, homes and roads and other infrastructure we rely on. We're adapting to this climate change impact by: 

  • establishing geohazard mapping programs to monitor major transportation corridors to predict permafrost thaw impacts to roadways; 
  • planning routine monitoring of structural conditions of buildings located on permafrost thaw; 
  • taking steps to mitigate the impacts of permafrost thaw on our roadways by installing thermosiphon technology to limit thawing and damage; and
  • identifying ways to improve the climate resilience of our buildings to climate impacts such as permafrost thaw.  
     
Go back to Our Clean Future goals

Find out what actions we're taking to adapt to climate change.

See actions