Severe droughts, wildfires, floods and landslides in British Columbia last year show that the response to climate change requires a focus on water and strengthening natural defenses provided by healthy watersheds, an expert said.
“We have all learned that climate crisis is a water crisis,” said Oliver Brandes, co-director of the University of Victoria’s Ecological Management POLICY project.
“Our best hedge against these challenges is to ensure the safety of our watersheds and improve our capacity to manage water sustainably.”
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The BC government announced on Tuesday that it is developing a new strategy to protect watersheds and drinking water in response to threats combined by climate change with the effects of urban and industrial development.
Creating the strategy is an important step in helping the province set its priorities and hopefully incorporate a greater focus on water as it modernizes land use planning, Brandes said in an interview.
The restoration of wetlands, riparian areas and other natural assets that filter water and serve as buffers against floods will be reconsidered on how and where communities develop and some forestry and agricultural practices need to change, he added.
But it will also save costs in the long run as climate change worsens, he noted.
“If you’re going to do disaster relief and rebuild, rebuild with natural defense rather than built infrastructure that is expensive and vulnerable in the future.”
In a discussion paper released by the Ministry of Environment on Tuesday, areas of focus for the watershed security strategy include the availability of safe drinking water, healthy ecosystems, ensuring an adequate water supply to support food security, as well as reducing risks of hazards such as floods and droughts.
The paper outlines proposed “outcomes” for the strategy, including exploring opportunities for First Nations and local governments to play a greater role in water management and integrating water more effectively into land use planning.
The province’s preliminary climate risk assessment released in 2019 identified seasonal and long-term water shortages among the biggest risks, which according to the newspaper are exacerbated by population growth and industrial activities.
The removal of vegetation from watersheds to enable urban development or through industries, such as forestry and mining, could contribute to flooding and harm to drinking water sources and aquatic ecosystems, it says.
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The province is working with indigenous peoples, local governments and others to develop its strategy and consider new approaches to watershed management, Environment Minister George Heyman said in a statement included in the newspaper.
“As the climate crisis continues, watersheds will play an increasingly central role in our lives by providing protection against storms and floods,” he said.
“Healthy watersheds are critical to achieving watershed security and resilience and are the foundation of healthy communities.”
The strategy, which is expected to be released next year, also includes a water protection fund.
The deadline for public comment on the discussion document is March 18.
The province previously launched the Healthy Watersheds initiative as part of its $ 10 billion economic stimulus program in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. It allocated $ 27 million for the hiring and training of workers to support 60 projects aimed at restoring salmon habitat, conducting watershed mapping and data collection.
© 2022 The Canadian Press
Reference-globalnews.ca