Chatham-Kent residents are being asked to help the municipality develop an action plan to combat the ongoing climate change emergency.
The Municipality of Chatham-Kent has launched the first of two online surveys that will allow residents to provide their input on the development of a Climate Change Action Plan for the community.
“The survey focuses on local issues that have a real impact on our residents and businesses,” said Bruce McAllister, CK’s general manager of community development, in a news release. “This survey allows people to share what they feel is most important now so that we can consider what the municipality and our partners might do to respond to these priorities. The community’s input is a key part of this process.”
In the first online survey, the municipality is asking residents to identify what they believe should be prioritized when developing the action plan. The survey will gauge the importance of issues related to climate change, such as energy use, flooding, and heatwaves.
Once the top climate change priorities are identified, the second survey will ask residents to identify what actions should be taken to address those issues. The municipality plans to launch the second survey in the spring of 2022.
Chatham-Kent Council declared a climate emergency in 2019, however, the action plan was delayed in early 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Following a recent climate analysis, the CK officials said the municipality has become hotter and wetter over the last several decades. This trend is expected to continue and bring with it an increased chance of heatwaves, flooding, erosion and extreme weather.
To take part in the first survey, visit the Climate Change Action Plan project website by clicking here.