Communities

We're taking steps to ensure Yukon communities will be strong and resilient in the future. Yukon communities will increasingly be places where people walk, cycle and use public transportation. They'll also support local businesses to thrive. We are helping communities prepare for change by:

completing geohazard and flood maps to inform infrastructure and community design decisions;
completing emergency management plans and wildfire protection plans; and
increasing low-carbon and local food production that contributes to climate resilience.

Communities with geohazard maps

Geohazards are geological and environmental conditions that have the potential to affect public safety, the environment and infrastructure. They include things such as:

landslides;
earthquakes;
glaciers; and
permafrost thaw.

We do geohazard mapping for the Yukon’s community and transportation infrastructure. These help us make sure we design communities to be climate resilient.

We're increasing the number of communities that have geohazard maps. We've now produced geohazard maps for:

Old Crow;
Dawson City (2);
Carmacks;
Ross River;
Faro;
Burwash Landing;
Destruction Bay;
Whitehorse (2);
Mayo, and;
Pelly Crossing.

Read more:
Learn about Yukon geohazards

A permafrost thaw slump: the ground has sloughed off and is sliding downhill taking trees, water, and mud with it.

Flood mapping in Yukon communities

Flooding is becoming more common in the Yukon due to climate change and more extreme weather events. We're working to better understand flooding in the territory to help build safer and more resilient communities. Flood maps are critical tools we use to prepare and reduce the impacts of flooding. Maps identify flood hazards and help with:

flood preparedness and mitigation;
land use planning;
emergency management; and
public awareness of flood risk.

Read more:
See information on flood preparation.

Wildfire protection plans for Yukon communities

Wildfires have been a natural occurrence in the Yukon landscape for millennia. However, the expansion and concentration of human populations in permanent settlements have increased the risk from wildfires, regardless of climate change.

We’re creating community wildfire protection plans in collaboration with communities. These plans are strategies for reducing the wildland fire risk around communities. Communities create their plans with support and technical input the our Wildland Fire Management team.

prioritized areas where fuel management should take place; and
recommendations to reduce the chances that wildland fires will damage structures.

Read more:
Learn about community wildfire protection plans

There are currently 18 actions that support communities objectives. To learn more about these actions and where we’ve made progress, scroll through the tabs below.

Complete

Action C10: Increase the capacity in Yukon Wildland Fire to prevent wildfires and respond to extended fire seasons by investing in staffing in 2020.
Action C14: Incorporate support, where possible, for local food producers into Government of Yukon procurement processes beginning in 2020.

In progress

Action C1: Expand geohazard map coverage to all Yukon communities with a high risk of permafrost thaw by 2025, in order to monitor community geohazards to better predict events, support adaptation and emergency response. Revised
Action C2: Develop flood probability maps for all Yukon communities at risk of flooding by 2023 that incorporate climate change projections.
Action C3: Develop detailed guidelines by 2025 that can be used by the Government of Yukon and partners to develop walkable, bike-friendly and transit-oriented communities.
Action C8: Expand monitoring networks and improve modelling tools to generate reliable daily flood forecasts and relevant warnings for all at-risk Yukon communities by 2024.
Action C9: Work with First Nations and municipalities to develop Wildfire Protection Plans for all Yukon communities by 2026 and to complete the forest fuel management activities outlined in the plans by 2030.
Action C11: Complete hazard identification and risk assessments (HIRAs) for all Yukon communities by 2022 that include climate change risks.
Action C12: Work with First Nations and municipalities to complete emergency management plans for all Yukon communities by 2022 informed by community hazard identification and risk assessments (HIRAs).
Action C13: Develop a territorial disaster financial assistance policy by 2022 to support recovery from natural disasters that result in extensive property damage or disruption to the delivery of essential goods and services.

Ongoing

Action C4: Continue to develop, encourage and apply applicable climate resiliency standards to community design and infrastructure development projects built by or receiving capital funding from the Government of Yukon.
Action C5: Continue to conduct detailed climate change risk assessments of all major community infrastructure projects over $10 million that are built or funded by the Government of Yukon.
Action C6: Upon review and updating of Land Use Plans, ensure that the climate change-related information is up-to-date and if consensus reached with First Nations partners incorporated into the plans. Revised
Action C7: Continue to provide technical and administrative support to Yukon First Nations and municipalities to prepare integrated asset management plans.
Action C15: Continue to provide funding for community gardens and greenhouses, especially in rural communities.
Action C16: Continue to provide technical advice to assist First Nations and municipal governments with their agricultural and animal husbandry projects.
Action C17: Continue to conduct and provide access to funding for research on how climate change could affect local agriculture.
Action C18: Continue to support agricultural producers to adapt to the impacts of climate change, adopt low-carbon practices and use surface water and groundwater efficiently.

New in 2023

Action C19: By 2027, establish a geohazard monitoring program for priority hazards identified through Our Clean Future around communities and along critical transportation corridors.
Action C20: Identify and implement best practices and guidelines by 2027 to ensure community infrastructure is resilient to the impacts of climate change.
Action C21: Plant 300,000 deciduous seedlings in high-priority forest fuel management areas throughout Yukon to transition landscapes to deciduous forest and reduce wildfire hazard by 2027.
Action C22: By 2025, develop terms and conditions for business support programs, as well as departmental operating procedures, ready to be used in the event of a climate-change driven natural disaster in the Yukon.
Action C23: By 2027, increase forecasting capacity by hiring a meteorologist and data scientist to improve available systems, digital tools and reporting structures for emergency preparedness and response in recognition of the increasing frequency, severity and impacts of fires, floods and weather.
Action C24: Develop flood information platform(s) to inform emergency planning, response and other community needs, incorporating relevant data, advisories and local observations as needed, by 2028
Action C25: Review and update emergency preparedness communications that support household resilience to climate-related hazards including flooding, fires, landslides and power outages by 2025.
Action C26: In partnership with the Governments of Northwest Territories and Canada, complete a research project during 2023-2028 to understand the different impacts land clearing methods have on greenhouse gas emissions and soil health.
Action C27: Complete a research project by 2025 that evaluates low carbon livestock management approaches such as agroforestry.
Action C28: Between 2023 and 2027, work with Yukon farmers and producers to complete at least three new or renewed Environmental Farm Plans per year.

Back to Our Clean Future actions

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