Whereas climate change is collectively, and increasingly, costing BC local governments billions of dollars in the form of increased maintenance, construction and upgrading of infrastructure, disaster relief and other climate costs; And whereas current provincial and federal funding falls considerably short of what is needed to properly protect communities in BC from current and future projected climate changes such as floods, wildfires and extreme heat: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM request that the Province increase funding available for climate adaptation measures commensurate with BCs climate risks.
Ministry of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness The safety of all British Columbians is a top priority for the Province. Government is committed to supporting First Nations and local governments in getting better prepared for emergencies and increasing their resiliency towards climate-related risks through a number of different funding programs. The Community Emergency Preparedness Fund CEPF supports First Nations and local governments to better prepare for disasters and reduce risks from natural hazards in a changing climate. Recognizing the increasing risk of disasters communities face due to climate change, we committed an additional 180 million to the CEPF earlier this year, bringing the total investment to 369 million. Additionally, we increased the funding stream for disaster-risk reduction and climate adaptation from 2 million to 5 million per project. Funding for wildfire resiliency projects is available through the Community Resiliency Investment programs FireSmart Community Funding and Supports FCFS stream. The program supports community based FireSmart planning and activities that reduce wildfire risk and can provide funding of up to 200,000 for high-risk communities and 100,000 for low-risk communities. The Local Government Climate Action Program LGCAP provides local governments and Modern Treaty Nations with predictable and stable funding to support local climate action that reduces emissions and prepares communities for the impacts of a changing climate. More information on funding programs for climate change adaptation can be found on the BC Community Climate Funding Guide for Indigenous communities local governments. Climate resilience will be a key point of consideration when the Province enters into negotiations on future bilateral infrastructure funding programs with our federal partners. URLs Community Emergency Preparedness Fund: https:www.ubcm.cacepf Community Resiliency Investment programs FireSmart Community Funding: https:www.ubcm.cacrifiresmart-community-funding-supports Community Climate Funding Guide for Indigenous communities local governments: https:communityclimatefunding.gov.bc.ca