Whereas the tragic flood events of November 2021 highlighted that conventional approaches to managing floods have not ensured public safety, lead to province-wide disruptions of infrastructure and food supply, weakened our flood storage capacity in the floodplain and further degraded the ecological health; And whereas many flood control structures e.g. dikes and associated floodgates and pumps are unnecessarily blocking access to important habitats for wild salmon e.g., over 1,500 km in the lower Fraser River floodplain and many of these structures are undersized for climate related increases in flooding as experienced during the November 2021 floods: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM call on the federal and provincial governments to ensure flood control projects provide multiple benefits to communities by aligning flood control funding and criteria with other core objectives such as reconciliation, wild salmon recovery, biodiversity, green infrastructure, climate adaptation and mitigation, emergency preparedness and building back better; And be it further resolved that Fisheries and Oceans Canada, BC Ministry of Forests and Ministry of Land, Water and Resource Stewardship co-create Best Management Practices to provide technical guidance for local governments on achieving short-and long-term flood recovery needs that are multi-beneficial and improve climate adaptation needs.
Ministry of Forests Green infrastructure and natural assets are increasingly recognized as important approaches in comprehensive flood risk reduction strategies for communities across BC. Many flood mitigation funding programs recognize green infrastructure and natural assets as eligible activities, including the Disaster Mitigation and Adaptation Fund DMAF and Adaptation, Resilience and Disaster Mitigation ARDM Program. The Province has emphasized natural systems, reconciliation, and climate adaptation in recent flood mitigation funding programs such as the Community Emergency Preparedness Fund as part of a modern comprehensive approach to flood risk reduction. Engagement was held on the BC Flood Strategy Intentions Paper between October 20th, 2022, to January 27th, 2023, and included discussions on a holistic approach to improve flood resilience alongside other co-benefits. Engagement included discussions on shifting from the past, emphasized on flood control, to investments that avoid new flood risk, accommodate flood waters, and retreat from high-risk areas community-led. Nature-based solutions, progress towards reconciliation, and building back better in recovery were also identified in the Intentions Paper and throughout engagement sessions. The Interim Provincial Disaster Recovery Guidelines outline strategic guidance for the community recovery process and are intended to support communities in balancing multiple values and considerations after a disaster. This framework is intended to be validated and superseded by a permanent disaster recovery framework that aligns with the modernized Emergency Program Act. Community recovery offers an opportunity to rebuild and strengthen social, ecological and economic resilience. There is an opportunity to build back to meet updated standards while complementing this work with other mitigation projects that help adapt to climate change or provide co-benefits for fish, habitat, food security, and other values alongside public safety. The Province is developing guidance for communities to plan and implement nature-based solutions for flood protection infrastructure that can be applied before or after a flood. Engineered wetlands, shoreline nourishment and setback dikes are examples of approaches that BC communities are implementing today to enhance other values while reducing flood impacts. Natural infrastructure guidelines are intended to outline techniques that weave together wise practices from here and around the world. Strengthening community recovery and building back better is highlighted in the priority actions in the Intentions Paper for a BC Flood Strategy. Local governments are encouraged to share their insights and suggestions on specific areas for improved guidance through the BC Flood Strategy engagement this fall. Working together with federal departments, other provincial ministries, local government, First Nations, and other partners, we are striving to develop a more holistic approach to flood preparedness, mitigation, response and recovery that aligns with the United Nations Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction and the BC Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act.