In mid-October, the Governemnt of BC released an intentions paper, From Flood Risk to Resilience in B.C., outlining how it hopes to balance public safety with a sustainable environment and stable economy.
“Flooding is by far the most common, costliest disaster in Canada,” the report says.
We can all recall the flooding in November of 2021 where videos of people boating down the roads of Abbotsford went viral. Countless onsite wastewater systems failed and the Province advised owners of sewer systems who live in flooded areas of B.C. about potential risks for human health and the environment, and how to mitigate them.
The intentions paper notes flood risks in B.C. are “substantial and continue to grow due to land use pressures and climate change.”
The documents says river flooding is expected to be 10 to 20 per cent more frequent. Local floods from heavy downpours, meanwhile, are expected to be 40 per cent more frequent.
That all comes as sea levels are forecast to rise at least one metre by the end of the century — squeezing many coastal communities between river and the ocean.
