Canada's National Observer - When water comes a-knockin’
“People all over Nova Scotia want help and answers. We’re just trying to figure out how a program like this can work, and how we can learn from it, so we can explore what to do next.”
This photo shows a swale, which is made up of small stones and acts as a shallow channel, that, with the help of gravity, directs water to flow to a particular area. Photo courtesy of Clean Foundation
This recent article in Canada's National Observer sheds light on the escalating threat of overland flooding in Nova Scotia, beyond coastal storm surges. With rivers, lakes, and rainwater increasingly causing floods downhill, the province faces a mounting challenge highlighted in Nova Scotia’s 2022 climate change risk assessment, "Weathering What’s Ahead."
Clean Foundation, a longstanding environmental charity, has been proactive since its inception in 1988, delivering diverse programs across Nova Scotia and now expanding to PEI. Recognizing the urgent need for flood preparedness, Clean Foundation’s initiatives have focused on advocating overland flood prevention retrofits. Their Resilient Home Retrofit Pilot Project, launched in 2023, targets 20 households in vulnerable watersheds, providing free flood risk assessments and preventative retrofits.
This initiative comes amidst increasing community concerns and seeks to set a precedent for future resilience efforts. Retrofit options include solar pumps for basement water removal, enhanced eavestroughs for redirecting water away from foundations, and strategic landscaping to improve drainage. Drawing on nature-based solutions, Clean Foundation proposes rain gardens with water-absorbing plants to mitigate excess precipitation.
As part of their educational outreach, Clean Foundation engages homeowners in flood preparedness, advising on emergency kits, neighborhood support post-floods, and maintenance of drainage systems. They also stress the importance of understanding insurance coverage for flood damage, which is often overlooked until incidents occur. With more intense rainfall events predicted for the future, Nova Scotians are urged to plan ahead, both at the municipal and household levels, to mitigate the impact of increasing flood risks.
Initiatives like the Canada1Water project (C1W) continue to play a crucial role in addressing these water-related challenges nationwide- by providing comprehensive research and data analysis, C1W offers insights into the dynamic complexities of water management in the face of climate change, and can be leveraged to support initiatives like Clean Foundation’s pilot project in Nova Scotia.