Prepare for rising sea levels, Halifax told
Last Updated: Wednesday, February 10, 2010 | 6:44 AM ET
CBC News
A study suggests sea levels in Halifax harbour could rise three-quarters of a metre. (CBC)Halifax municipal officials plan to take inventory of every property along the harbour as a new study suggests water levels could rise 73 centimetres by the next century.
The study, presented to regional councillors on Tuesday, looks at the effects of climate change on the waterfront by 2100. It predicts that sea levels could rise even higher during storms and hurricanes, to 2.67 metres.
Lead researcher Roger Wells said the Halifax Regional Municipality needs to understand how this can affect harbour properties, and prepare.
He told councillors that various groups, such as the Department of National Defence, are already putting the data to good use.
"They are using it to redesign one of their jetty retrofits. The port authority is using it, Waterfront Development Corporation is taking it into account in the Bedford waterfront," Wells said.
Wells said the research has been passed along to the developer of King's Wharf, a massive waterfront condominium and shopping complex proposed for the Dartmouth side of the harbour.
"There is a clause in the development agreement that asks them as part of their submission to deal with the effects of sea level rise," he said.
Councillors with districts along the coast are asking for similiar data.
The municipality partnered with Dalhousie University, Natural Resources Canada and other groups on its study.
With files from The Canadian PressShare Tools
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