Developing Practical Climate Adaptation and Mitigation Toolkits for the Canadian Forest-Based Communities: A Systematic Review

Effah Kwabena Antwi^1*Akua Nyamekye Darko¹John Boakye-Danquah²Erin Fraser-Reid³Heather Macdonald⁴Priscilla Toloo Yohuno (Apronti)¹

• ¹Department of Natural Resources (Canada), Ottawa, Canada
• ²School of Environment and Sustainability, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
• ³Northern Forestry Centre, Natural Resources Canada, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
• ⁴Great Lakes Forestry Centre, Natural Resources Canada, Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada

The effects of climate change events such as wildfires, storms, flooding, and pest outbreaks remain a constant threat to the health of Canadian forests. Consequently, adaptation and mitigation actions are necessary to reduce the effects and impacts of climate change and prevent further deterioration of forests. Toolkits are commonly utilized to understand climate change risks and drive the implementation of climate change adaptation and mitigation strategies. If developed appropriately, toolkits can provide flexible pathways that are tailored to changing climatic patterns, events, and impacts within specific contexts or sectors. In this review paper, we examine how climate change adaptation and mitigation toolkits are developed in the Canadian forest sector, the challenges encountered in the process, and if and how Indigenous and local knowledge were incorporated into the process. The review found that toolkits developed holistically and comprehensively provide a good foundation for implementing long-term impactful climate action. Achieving this requires a broad understanding and mapping of climate issues, implementation options as well as best practices for monitoring and evaluation of action plans.