New Supports to Help Communities Adapt to Drought Conditions

Press Release

May 28, 2026

Provincial funding and a new data tool will help communities be prepared for and respond to water shortages caused by drought.

Applications for the Sustainable Communities Challenge Fund opened today, May 28, with priority given to projects that address drought and water shortages. The Province also launched a new data portal with information on Nova Scotia’s ground and surface water resources.

“Projections tell us that drought and water shortages remain a risk because of global climate change,” said Timothy Halman, Minister of Environment and Climate Change. “This mean water conditions in Nova Scotia are changing. Drought, heavy rainfall and other events can affect water availability, water quality and infrastructure. Informed, collaborative and innovative action, however, can make our communities resilient to drought periods and water shortages. The data portal and this funding will help communities respond to their specific needs, helping to ensure Nova Scotians have reliable and sustainable access to water.”

Being water resilient means being prepared for dry periods so that when water is limited, the impacts are smaller, easier to manage or avoided altogether.

Some examples of water resiliency projects that could be eligible for the Sustainable Communities Challenge Fund include:

• community wells (new or expanded)
• backup water systems such as cisterns or large-scale water storage containers for essential buildings like community centres, emergency shelters and fire departments
• community water conservation infrastructure such as rainwater harvesting and non-potable water reuse systems
• engineering and hydrogeological studies to better understand water resources to inform adaptation planning
• regional, shared or linked water supply solutions, including water pipelines
• using nature, including plants, soil and wetlands, to help manage water in a sustainable way.

About $6.3 million is available in this round of funding for municipalities, non-profit and community organizations, post-secondary institutions and Mi’kmaw communities. More information about eligible projects and how to apply is available at https://nschallengefund.ca/. The deadline to apply is July 23, with pre-screening information, which ensures that basic eligibility requirements are met, due by June 25.

New water data portal

The water resources portal brings together existing data on groundwater, rivers, lakes, water quality and weather conditions, making it easier for municipalities, academia, researchers, industry and Nova Scotians to better understand water conditions, trends and patterns and take informed action.

The portal includes information from provincial monitoring networks such as:

• groundwater levels
• water levels and flows in rivers and streams
• water quality in lakes and rivers
• weather data.

Quotes:

“The Sustainable Communities Challenge Fund is very much needed at this time to support municipal projects as focus on the water resources both in serviced and non-serviced areas of our municipality become increasingly important. As our municipality continues to grow, water sustainability is critically important. This new portal will help support not only municipal decision-making during this time of increased awareness and utilization of water resources, but it will also better inform residents so they can become water resilient in response to climate change-induced drought.”
— Mark Phillips, Chief Administrative Officer, West Hants Regionality Municipality

“The Sustainable Communities Challenge Fund will continue supporting projects across Nova Scotia in response to the growing impacts of climate change. From coastal adaptation to water resilience, we look forward to supporting more creative and community-led projects that address region-specific needs. Together, these projects build on the momentum and impact of our first three rounds.”
— Juanita Spencer, CEO, Nova Scotia Federation of Municipalities

“Water shortages negatively impact the economy, food security, health, quality of life and overall well-being of communities. Robust adaptation means that climate risks do not exist in isolation. CLIMAtlantic welcomes these new supports focused on project funding for drought adaptation, as well as a new water resources data portal to inform planning and decision making. Both of those are critically important to help communities become more resilient.”
— Sabine Dietz, Executive Director, CLIMAtlantic

Quick Facts:

• the Sustainable Communities Challenge Fund was created in 2021 as part of the Environmental Goals and Climate Change Reduction Act, a legislated commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, respond to climate change, transform how Nova Scotians produce and use energy, make homes and buildings energy efficient, and more
• since launching, the fund has provided about $13 million for projects that help Nova Scotians respond to climate change
• the Nova Scotia Federation of Municipalities was selected through a request for proposals process to administer the program on behalf of the government
• the data in the portal is collected through provincial monitoring programs including a network of observation wells, river and stream gauges, water quality monitoring sites and weather stations across Nova Scotia; some records extend back decades, providing important long-term context
• CLIMAtlantic was created to help people understand how climate change will affect their communities and what they can do about it; it is funded by the four Atlantic provinces

Additional Resources:

The water resources portal and a series of user guides are available at: https://novascotia.ca/water-resources-data-portal/

More information on the Sustainable Communities Challenge Fund is available at: https://nschallengefund.ca

News releases about the fund and related projects: https://news.novascotia.ca/search/all?field_topics=228

Environmental Goals and Climate Change Reduction Act: https://nslegislature.ca/sites/default/files/legc/statutes/environmental%20goals%20and%20climate%20change%20reduction.pdf

Our Climate, Our Future: Nova Scotia’s Climate Change Plan for Clean Growth: https://climatechange.novascotia.ca/sites/default/files/uploads/ns-climate-change-plan.pdf

Powering the Transition: Nova Scotia 2025 Climate Change Risk Assessment: https://climatechange.novascotia.ca/sites/default/files/uploads/climate-change-risk–assessment-2025.pdf

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