Getting a Grip on Canada’s Top Climate Cost – Municipal Flooding
April 17 2024 - 6:00AM
A new tool – the
Municipal Flood Risk Check-Up –
launched today by the University of Waterloo's
Intact
Centre on Climate Adaptation, will help
Canadian municipalities to assess flood hazards, level of flood
preparedness, and actions to limit future flood risk.
The need for this Check-Up is now. Canada’s National Risk
Profile, 2023, identified that the country is not ready for
flooding. 10 per cent of Canada’s housing market is uninsurable for
overland flooding, and homes in flood impacted communities have
sold for up to 17 per cent less following a flood event. As seen
during floods in Nova Scotia in 2023, preparedness would not only
have limited financial losses, but more importantly, four lives
lost to torrential flows may have been saved.
The Check-Up tool was developed by 53 flood experts over two
years, including representatives from all levels of government, and
the municipal insurance provider Intact Public Entities.
“When it comes to reducing flood risk, actions speak louder than
words,” explains Joanna Eyquem, co-author of the Check-Up and
Managing Director, Climate-Resilient Infrastructure at the Intact
Centre. “Identifying a full range of actions as part of their flood
risk management toolbox is challenging for many communities - that
is the gap the Check-Up is designed to fill.”
While all levels of government have a role to play,
municipalities are at the frontlines of flood risk management.
Starting in 2024, they can apply for funding to reduce climate
risks through the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) Green
Municipal Fund. Where the Check-Up identifies vulnerabilities, FCM
funding could provide support to limit potentially costly losses to
homeowners and communities.
Such positive municipal action aligns with several National
Adaptation Strategy targets, including:
- By 2025, 50% of Canadians have taken
concrete actions to better prepare for and respond to climate
change risks facing their household.
- By 2027, 80% of coastal communities
and 60% of businesses located in coastal regions are implementing
adaptation actions to increase climate resilience and reduce the
economic impacts of climate change.
- By 2030, 80% of public and municipal
organizations have factored climate change adaptation into their
decision-making processes.
“As climate change supercharges heavy rainfall events, local
governments from coast to coast to coast are finding they are
changing policies, infrastructure, and services in order to keep up
with new realities,” stresses Carole Saab, CEO of FCM. “This tool
allows local governments to benchmark their flood risk management
practices against national best practices, identifying areas of
strength and opportunities for improvement in the mission to keep
communities safe from climate hazards.”
Municipalities can use the Check-Up to:
- Gain an understanding of flood
exposure, even where flood mapping is not available.
- Benchmark and document their current
flood preparedness by drawing on Canadian guidance and
standards.
- Document progress towards reduction
of municipal flood risk over time.
- Access a library of key resources on
flood risk and preparedness, including National Standards of
Canada.
- Demonstrate municipal flood
preparedness to interested parties.
- Prioritise actions for different
flood types and at different scales.
- Inform future investment planning
and funding applications.
- Anticipate and answer questions that
may be asked by municipal insurers in developing insurance
policies.
- Contribute to objectives and targets
identified in Canada’s National Adaptation Strategy.
- Support municipal staff and service
delivery.
Robust tools to limit flood risk are not sufficient on their
own. Support from multiple actors, including FCM, provincial and
territorial municipal associations, standards organizations and
insurers, will be critical to encourage widespread use of the
Municipal Flood Risk Check-Up to really make on the ground change.
The Check-Up may also inform development of a system to incentivize
community flood risk management actions as part of the National
Flood Insurance Program, announced in federal Budget 2023.
Driven by irreversible climate change, flood risk will continue
to grow. The Check-Up provides a roadmap to reduce this risk that
should be prominent in the fiduciary toolbox of municipalities.
Contact details:
Ryon JonesMedia relations managerUniversity of
Waterloo 226-339-0894 | @uwaterloo| uwaterloo.ca/news
Joanna EyquemManaging Director, Climate
Resilient Infrastructure, Intact Centre on Climate
AdaptationUniversity of Waterloo 514-268-0873 |
joanna.eyquem@uwaterloo.ca
FCM Media Relations613-907-6395media@fcm.ca
Jessica Jaremchuk, BA., LL.BVice President,
Risk Management ServicesIntact Public Entities 226-750-3801 |
jessica.jaremchuk@intactpublicentities.ca