Adapting to Climate Change
Climate change is already impacting our forests, rivers and lakes, infrastructure, agriculture, industry, and recreational opportunities. Risks of coastal flooding associated with sea level rise, and storm surges pose an increasing threat for human health, safety, and property. Warmer temperatures and drier conditions are compounding insect infestations, wildfire threats, and increasing drought risk.
There are many things that we can, and need, to do to adapt to these changes. Actions to address climate change focus on two approaches: mitigation and adaptation.
This page will help you find out about government commitments to helping communities adapt to climate change. Long term thinking and radical changes in behaviour, such as designing our communities to work with nature, are needed.
Flooding is an important natural process. Seasonal floods and droughts have always been, and will always be, characteristic of our province’s climate and geography. As our climate warms, we expect to see more frequent extreme weather events. This includes changing rainfall patterns, reduced snow pack, and variable timing of snow melts leading to heavier winter flooding and decreased summer stream flow in some areas. This creates much more uncertainty over future water supplies and requires changes to the way we manage water.
What is the B.C. government doing?
The B.C. government’s response to climate change is multi-faceted. Action is being taken to both mitigate our contribution to climate change and to help adapt to our new climate. Living Water Smart is part of government’s response to adapting to climate change, focusing on water.
Preparing for floods
The frequency of damaging floods is expected to increase as our climate continues to change. Effective ways of helping communities better manage the risk of more frequent floods include:
- Avoiding building in flood prone areas;
- Allowing room for rivers to meander;
- Improving flood protection infrastructure; and
- Planning for flood proofing measures.
Concentrating on floodplain management and structural flood protection will decrease spending on emergency response and prevent damage. Dike standards are being revised to ensure the protective flood proofing measures we build today will protect our communities in the future. The B.C. government has committed $100 million over 10 years for flood infrastructure improvements to help communities prepare. Restricting or preventing development on flood prone lands will improve public safety and reduce the costs of potential flood damage.
Under LWS, where new development on flood plains is unavoidable, it will be flood-proofed to high provincial standards. New design standards for buildings in flood prone areas and flood protection infrastructure will be developed that reflect increasing flood risk.
Visit the Ministry of Environment’s website for more information about flood hazard management, and dam and dike safety.
Preparing for Droughts
What is Drought?
Drought is a recurrent feature of climate involving a deficiency of precipitation over an extended period of time, resulting in a water shortage. In British Columbia, drought may be caused by combinations of insufficient snow accumulation, hot and dry weather or a delay in rainfall.
How does drought affect us in B.C.?
Drought conditions can impact communities and individuals in many different ways. Previous droughts, including that experienced in southern BC in 2009, highlight the importance of having clear actions and strategies to manage water in times of drought for both water users and aquatic ecosystems.
Being prepared to respond to droughts when they occur will help communities manage water for drinking, sanitation, fire protection, agriculture and other economic activities. It will also help protect fish and aquatic ecosystems.
Drought Response Planning in B.C.
The B.C. Government is working on the development of a drought response plan. This plan will build on existing tools and outline the actions taken during and immediately following a drought to reduce its impacts. It will include communication steps required to ensure timely and appropriate action. Input from the four regional drought planning workshops (March 2010) will inform the response plan.
» http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/wsd/public_safety/drought_info/
Working with other Canadian jurisdictions
All Canadian jurisdictions are working to ensure water management is sustainable and helps us adapt to climate change. The B.C. government will continue to work with other provinces to share ideas and resources to improve water conservation and collectively help communities adapt to climate change.
In May 2008, B.C. partnered with the seven western provinces and territories of Canada to establish an inter-jurisdictional “Western Water Stewardship Council” (WWSC). The Council was formed to better coordinate water conservation programs, share information networks and systems, reduce the costs of water stewardship programs, and develop a clearer understanding of the impacts of climate change, future water demand and changes to water supply across Western Canada. Areas of focus for the WWSC have included: water efficiency, drought preparedness, and watershed governnance and planning.
At the August 2009 Council of the Federation meeting Premiers agreed to create a Council of the Federation Water Stewardship Council based on the existing Western Water Stewardship Council. The Council of the Federation Water Stewardship Council will focus its work on water efficiency and conservation.
Through this Council, Premiers have agreed to implement a Canada-wide water efficiency labelling program. This program will reduce water consumption by informing consumers of the most efficient products on the market.-
Media release: British Columbia to Lead Western Water Council
British Columbia will establish a secretariat to support a new Western Water Stewardship Council, which will ensure western provinces have a safe supply of water…
Creating Community Development Strategies
Community development strategies will help to build resilient communities by recognizing the importance of riparian zones in buffering the effects of extreme flows associated with climate change.
Healthy riparian zones can effectively store carbon dioxide, reduce erosion during high flows and protect aquatic habitat during low flows. Healthy lakes, rivers, streams, wetlands, and riparian zones play a role in:
- Storing carbon in plants and soils;
- Releasing water vapour to naturally cool landscapes;
- Buffering the effects of extreme weather events; and
- Storing and providing water during times of drought.
Developing new approaches to water management
Through Living Water Smart the B.C. government is committing to many new actions that will enable B.C. to adapt to climate change, and create liveable communities. Visit the following pages for more details on these approaches:
- Through modernizing our water laws we will revisit methods to allocate water and protect ecosystems.
- Being more efficient water users we will reduce B.C.’s vulnerability to increasing uncertainty over future water supplies due to climate change.
- By planning with water in mind we will promote innovation and creativity related to how we design and build communities, new buildings and infrastructure.
-
Media release: Preparing for Climate Change: Securing B.C.’s Water Future
A $6.9-million collaborative adaptation program will help B.C. communities deal with the impacts of climate change on water use, forest and watershed management, flood protection and community planning. The Honourable Stockwell Day, President of the Treasury Board and Minister for the Asia-Pacific Gateway, today announced a Regional Adaptation Collaborative led by the Government of Canada, the Government of British Columbia and the Fraser Basin Council. The new initiative, entitled Preparing for Climate Change: Securing B.C.’s Water Future, is coordinated by the non-profit Fraser Basin Council and the B.C. Ministry of Environment. Natural Resources Canada is providing $3.3 million of the $6.9 million, which includes contributions from 18 partners in provincial ministries, local governments, First Nations and non-governmental organizations, the private sector and academia.
What can you do?
- Become familiar with climate change, its implications and the various actions you can take to reduce your impact and adapt to the changes from the following resources:
- If you live or work in a floodplain area, visit your local government office to look at floodplain maps and become familiar with your local flood emergency plans.
- If you are purchasing a new home, check that the first floor is built above the designated flood level.
- Visit Easy actions to do for many ways to save water at home.
- Support smart growth and developments that incorporate parks and other green spaces, maintain wetlands and shoreline vegetation, use interlocking brick instead of concrete, and create parking lots of porous materials.
- Support stream and wetland restoration projects in your community. See get involved in your area for ideas.
Did you know?
- Floods are essential to a healthy ecosystem; they help rebuild our soils, maintain wildlife habitat and restore groundwater supplies. Living Water Smart concentrates on reducing human and property damage during floods.
- Since 1980 there has been a 68% increase in population and an 81% increase in the number of dwellings on the Lower Fraser River floodplain.
Taking action to reduce the extent and intensity of the negative impacts of climate change i.e. significantly cutting emissions of greenhouse gases.
Changing behaviour and attitudes to cope with changes to the natural environment i.e. changing the way we live.
Legislative changes in 2003 and 2004 strengthened the
Dike Maintenance Act and enabled local government to make flood hazard bylaws and land subdivision decisions. The B.C. government provided provincial guidelines (developed under the
Environmental Management Act) and advice to assist the development of these bylaws to local government. The objective of the bylaws is to guide land use and subdivision decisions in order to reduce or prevent injury, human trauma and loss of life, and property damage during flood events.
A riparian zone is where land and a flowing surface water body meet. Riparian zones are significant in
ecology and
environmental management as they help conserve soil, biodiversity and healthy aquatic ecosystems.
Top
