Strategic support for RCMs in deploying the new OGATs
The new Orientations gouvernementales en aménagement du territoire (OGAT) came into force on December 1, 2024, marking the start of a major reform for Quebec's MRCs. As of 2025, they will have to start revising their Schémas d'aménagement et de développement (SAD) to comply with these new guidelines. This process represents a major challenge that will require resources and targeted support.
Over the next few months, the Quebec government is expected to provide RCMs with a range of supporting documents, such as technical guides and methodological sheets, to assist them in this process. These tools will aim to clarify the content of OGATs, define the data required to monitor strategic indicators, and provide in-depth technical explanations of their implementation.
To support MRCs and their partners in the process of updating their SADs and integrating the new OGATs, Habitat has developed a strategic support approach based on three areas of intervention:
Adapting to global change
Conservation of natural environments
Reconciling land uses
These three axes cover a number of expectations and enable a transversal reading of the OGATs. They also provide a framework for proposing solutions tailored to the needs of MRCs, while responding to current territorial and environmental issues.
Habitat's strategic focus
Adapting territories to global change
Adaptation to global change is now at the heart of land-use planning issues. Global change refers to all the rapid, large-scale modifications of our planet, and includes climate change, the collapse of biodiversity, changes in land use and pollution, for example. By definition, OGATs attempt to plan land use so that it is as well adapted as possible to future challenges.
The OGATs set out specific expectations, such as the identification of areas at risk (flooding, erosion, landslides), their integration into planning tools, and the promotion of sustainable practices, such as the restoration of degraded environments and the revegetation of urban spaces. These measures aim to strengthen the resilience of communities and infrastructures in the face of climatic challenges.
Conserving vulnerable natural environments
Territorial conservation is another essential component of the OGATs, aligned with the international ambition to protect 30% of ecosystems by 2030, as set out in the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.
The OGATs encourage the prioritization of areas of high ecological value, the protection of critical habitats for flora and fauna, and the preservation of natural environments contributing to climate resilience, such as forests, wetlands and watercourses. The creation of ecological corridors is also promoted to maintain landscape connectivity and promote the proper functioning of ecosystems.Reconciling land uses
Reconciling land uses involves harmonizing multiple human activities, taking into account the ecological, social and economic dynamics specific to each region. It aims to plan and organize the interactions between these uses in order to reduce potential conflicts and optimize their coexistence. This strategic axis relies on the role of the Schémas d'aménagement et de développement (SAD) of the MRCs, which will translate this conciliation into concrete actions. By updating these documents, RCMs must identify priority uses, introduce mechanisms to prevent or resolve conflicts between incompatible activities, and enhance the value of natural resources and landscapes.
OGATs relating to the reconciliation of land uses include specific orientations concerning recreational tourism development and access to natural attractions, the sustainable development of private forests and the protection of activities threatened by mining.
Habitat, a strategic partner in the transition to OGATs
This reform represents an opportunity to rethink land-use planning in Quebec. With its expertise in ecosystem management, Habitat is ideally positioned to help municipal players effectively integrate OGATs into their territorial planning, while proposing innovative solutions tailored to regional needs.
More information on our services and support tools will be released as the supporting documents are published and the DAS review process progresses. Stay tuned for our initiatives and contributions to this transition.