Partnerships in Community-based Approaches to Achieving Sustainability: The Atlantic Coastal Action Program

Abstract

The Government of Canada believes that a healthy democracy requires the active engagement of its citizens in understanding the economic, social, and environmental issues faced by the nation. In the Atlantic Region, Environment Canada has been actively working, for more than a decade, on helping citizens achieve this integrated view and providing local communities with the means to develop their own visions of sustainability. In this regard, the Atlantic Coastal Action Program (ACAP) has been one of Environment Canada Atlantic Region’s greatest success stories. ACAP is a community-based program that promotes local leadership and action. For more than 13 years, ACAP activities have involved thousands of community residents working as volunteers in local and regional initiatives. Their successes include solving complex problems related to sewage treatment, toxic contaminants and water quality, building local capacity and, educating their communities on issues such as pollution prevention, monitoring, climate change, assessment and household hazardous wastes to name a few. By working as a partner with local communities rather than imposing decisions, Environment Canada has helped a diversity of communities to responsibly address environmental issues of “local interest.” When communities realize that they can solve some of their own problems, they are empowered and can directly (or indirectly) influence decision-makers and policy makers. All of the ACAP groups have experiences in collaborative ecosystem management that have influenced local and/or regional decision-making. This paper outlines a number of these experiences, describes ACAP and its process as well as ACAP’s influence within Environment Canada and the rest of the Atlantic Region.

Parent Publication

• Monitoring Science and Technology Symposium: Unifying Knowledge for Sustainability in the Western Hemisphere

Citation

Rousseau, F.; McNeil, Colleen; Hildebrand, Larry. 2006. Partnerships in Community-based Approaches to Achieving Sustainability: The Atlantic Coastal Action Program. In: Aguirre-Bravo, C.; Pellicane, Patrick J.; Burns, Denver P.; and Draggan, Sidney, Eds. 2006. Monitoring Science and Technology Symposium: Unifying Knowledge for Sustainability in the Western Hemisphere Proceedings RMRS-P-42CD. Fort Collins, CO: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station. p. 481-487