Changing climate, changing communities
Guide and workbook for municipal climate adaptation
Changing Climate, Changing Communities: Guide and Workbook for Municipal Climate Adaptation
2025 Update: This resource was updated in 2025 to consolidate 17 years of work and continuous refinement.
The Changing Climate, Changing Communities Guide and Workbook is a milestone based framework to assist local governments in the creation of adaptation plans to address the relevant climate change impacts associated with their communities. Although climate change adaptation is a complex process, this guide is the first of its kind to provide a straightforward methodology to adaptation planning using a five-milestone approach. Each milestone represents a fundamental step in the adaptation planning process, starting with the initiation of adaptation efforts (by building an adaptation team and identifying local stakeholders) and culminating with a monitoring and review process that analyzes the successes and reviews the challenges of the adaptation plan and its implementation. Changing Climate, Changing Communities is a compendium of three distinct elements: a main guide, a workbook for practitioners, and a set of information annexes.
New! 2025 Building Adaptive and Resilient Communities (BARC) Guide
Same five-milestones methodology, new case studies, prompts, and refined guidance.
Spearheaded by adaptation experts, the updated BARC guide consolidates 17 years of work and continuous refinement, building on practical on-the-ground experience. The new guide provides greater flexibility, stronger support for building the business case and financing adaptation, expanded direction on governance and implementation readiness, prompts to help advance equity and work in the spirit of reconciliation at every milestone, and fresh approaches to outreach and collaboration.
About the BARC Framework
BARC is a proven climate adaptation framework for local action. Developed by ICLEI Canada with and for Canadian communities, it provides a clear, flexible five-milestone methodology to build adaptive and resilient communities in a changing climate. Recognized as Canada’s go-to adaptation program, BARC drives climate resilience from early planning through to implementation and monitoring. Above all, BARC meets communities where they are, whether they are just starting, struggling with implementation, or ready to update an existing plan.
Contact Us About BARC
Ready to take the next step, but not sure where to start? Email karina.richters@iclei.org to discuss options and find the best path forward for you.
Reach us
iclei-canada@iclei.org
Suite 204
401 Richmond St. W
Toronto, ON
M5V 3A8
We respectfully acknowledge that ICLEI Canada’s work happens across Turtle Island which has traditionally been and is home to many diverse First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples since time immemorial.