Thursday, April 4, 2024

At a glance (2 minute read)

  • The Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship unveiled From Flood Risk to Resilience: a B.C. Flood Strategy to 2035 to tackle rising flood concerns.
  • This strategy, developed with input from First Nations and local governments, aims to enhance flood resilience through 25 proposed concepts across four pathways.
  • The province plans phased implementation, guided by a forthcoming Flood Resilience Plan, and invites public feedback on the strategy.

If you have clients who are buying, selling, or owning a home along or close to rivers, streams, or ocean inlets, for example, Ladner, Tsawwassen, Richmond, Pitt Meadows, Maple Ridge, Pemberton, and elsewhere, they may be concerned about flood risks.

Flooding continues to be a major environmental challenge, leading to heavy costs for communities in Greater Vancouver and other areas of the province.

To strengthen BC’s ability to respond to crises and prepare for flood-related climate impacts, the Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship has prepared, From Flood Risk to Resilience: a B.C. Flood Strategy to 2035.

The strategy was developed after the ministry engaged with First Nations, local governments, and numerous other partners to deliver a provincial vision, principles, and desired outcomes, for flood management in the 21st century.

The goal is to build a more flood-resilient province, with communities working together to prepare for and respond to flooding.

The strategy proposes 25 concepts to improve flood resilience, organized into four pathways:

  • understanding flood risk
  • strengthening flood risk governance
  • enhancing flood preparedness, response, and recovery
  • investing for flood resilience

Implementation will occur in phases, and will be guided by a Flood Resilience Plan, still being drafted.

The province welcomes feedback. Send your comments, ideas, or concerns to Harriet Permut, director of government relations at hpermut@gvrealtors.ca. Harriet will forward your feedback to Nathan Cullen, Minister of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship.

Read From Flood Risk to Resilience: a B.C. Flood Strategy to 2035 (opens 51-page PDF).