CBC News - Rebuild or retreat? B.C. communities face tough choices after catastrophic floods
In the wake of devastating flooding and mudslides throughout the Pacific Northwest in November 2021, communities across British Columbia are considering “managed retreat” as part of their flood mitigation strategies.
But how do communities decide which measures to take in the face of increasing flood frequency and intensity? That’s for the politicians to decide, but collaborators in the Canada 1 Water project know one thing for certain: knowledge is power, these decisions will always benefit from an informed perspective on future conditions, and the potential extent of flooding under future climate scenarios. This is exactly why C1W partners are working hard to create integrated hydrologic models for the entire country, paired with the best available climate forecasts. By simulating the entire hydrologic cycle we will be in a much better position to estimate the frequency and severity of floods in communities across Canada.
The City of Abbotsford is considering many flood mitigation options, including enhancements to pump station and repairs of existing dikes, building new pumping stations and dikes. But should “managed retreat” be part of the discussion? What if future floods completely overwhelm any newly built flood infrastructure? C1W will be another tool to help communities across Canada to answer these hard questions.
Click here to read the CBC News article, part of CBC’s new initiative called "Our Changing Planet".
“Rather than rebuild or protect the neighbourhood from future flooding, Grand Forks chose a path that’s likely to become more common as sea levels rise and weather gets more extreme due to climate change.
It’s called “managed retreat,” and it means the people, their neighbourhood and all the dreams they had for the land have to go — returning the area to a natural floodplain.
As climate change threatens residents and infrastructure, more people will be forced to relocate. A 2019 study published in Nature estimated that, without urgent emissions cuts, some 300 million people are vulnerable to rising sea waters globally. ”