Whereas along the lower Fraser River and south coast of British Columbia, regional planning and funding of flood management infrastructure has become poorly coordinated and underfunded since the provincial government devolved much of its role in flood protection in the mid-2000s; And whereas sea level rise, freshet events, and seismic standards will require significant upgrades to flood protection in the city of Vancouver and elsewhere along the lower Fraser River and south coast: Therefore be it resolved that the provincial government works with local governments along the lower Fraser River and south coast to restore the provincial governments role in coordinating regional flood protection and the provision of long-term sustainable funding to enable resilient flood management planning and infrastructure efforts.
Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development Government provides funding and collaboration with the Lower Mainland Flood Management Strategy, and its partners, to strengthen flood management infrastructure, increase resiliency and reduce vulnerability to flood events in the Lower Mainland. Government is currently developing a Provincial Flood Risk Strategy to review the roles and responsibilities of provincial and local governments, and to determine the provincial support measures required to successfully reduce flood risks. Government provides either cost-shared or fully-funded programs to local governments, such as the Community Emergency Preparedness Fund and BC Disaster Mitigation Program, to assist communities in planning and building community flood resilience. Government continues to provide and update guidelines and information on managing and adapting to climate change, such as sea level rise and seismic risks. Government will continue to coordinate and provide access to federal programs and provide notification of current funding programs to local governments and First Nation communities.