Toward a National Adaptation Strategy for Canada: Key insights from global peers

This report provides guidance for the Canadian federal government in developing its first-ever national adaptation strategy (NAS). By analyzing 12 adaptation policy instruments from 11 countries and conducting informant interviews, the report identifies global trends in adaptation planning and proposes 13 considerations across four main aspects to ensure Canada's strategy is ambitious, inclusive, and effective.

• In 2020, which was one of the warmest years on record, Canada experienced insured damages totaling CAD 2.4 billion due to severe weather events, marking the fourth highest annual damage on record.
• Global adoption of national-level adaptation planning instruments—including laws, policies, strategies, or plans—is widespread, with 72% of countries having adopted at least one and an additional 9% currently developing one.
• An analysis of 12 adaptation policy instruments from 11 countries revealed several global trends: an increase in legislative backing for national adaptation, a shift toward iterative planning (with over half of the instruments recently updated or pending update), and the codification of coordination responsibilities between jurisdictions. While most instruments include progress reporting timeframes and risk assessment cycles, very few consistently emphasize gender equality despite most referencing social inclusion.
• The report proposes 13 considerations for Canada's NAS organized into four categories: setting the stage for development (defining roles, institutional arrangements, and engagement), mobilizing federal action (unified risk assessment, policy alignment, reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples, and progress tracking), facilitating action (bridging implementation gaps and knowledge management), and establishing leadership (prioritizing gender equality, social inclusion, labor aspects, nature-based risk management, and international adaptation issues).

APA

Dazé,, A. H.-E. P. L. (2021). Toward a National Adaptation Strategy for Canada: Key insights from global peers. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/publications/national-adaptation-strategy-canada

Chicago

Dazé,, Anne Hammill,Jo-Ellen Parry,Christian Ledwell,Angie. Toward a National Adaptation Strategy for Canada: Key insights from global peers. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2021. https://www.iisd.org/publications/national-adaptation-strategy-canada.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Dazé, |first1=Anne Hammill,Jo-Ellen Parry,Christian Ledwell,Angie |title=Toward a National Adaptation Strategy for Canada: Key insights from global peers |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=15 June 2021 |url=https://www.iisd.org/publications/national-adaptation-strategy-canada |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{daz2021toward, author = {Dazé,, Anne Hammill,Jo-Ellen Parry,Christian Ledwell,Angie}, title = {{Toward a National Adaptation Strategy for Canada: Key insights from global peers}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2021}, month = jun, url = {https://www.iisd.org/publications/national-adaptation-strategy-canada}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }