Floods matter. People whose homes are inundated or damaged will remember for the rest of their lives; landscapes are changed forever; regional and national economies suffer. With climate change driving up the frequency and intensity of flooding and other natural hazards, the risks and impacts to Canada's economic vitality, infrastructure, environment, and citizens will only continue to grow. The RDCO is no stranger to flood damages, having experienced them on our rivers and lakes in recent years.
The RDCO built on two earlier phases of work to prepare a flood mitigation plan with a focus on non-structural approaches (e.g., policies, programs, initiatives).
The objectives of this project are to:
- Reduce flood risk
- Improve emergency response
- Increase resiliency to climate change
We developed a Flood Mitigation Plan that identifies the best approaches to build local resilience and reduce risk.
Who's involved? |
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Water doesn't follow jurisdictional boundaries. While the focus of this project is on the Central Okanagan, we worked with partners up and down the Okanagan Valley to build on a watershed-wide approach to flood mitigation. The project involved an extensive outreach component to local governments, Syilx communities, stakeholders, and engaged with the public to ensure that the proposed mitigation options are acceptable and supported. |
What is non-structural flood mitigation? |
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Effective flood management requires implementing a range of mitigation options, rather than relying solely on traditional structures such as dikes or dams. So called non-structural options play an important role in reducing risk and improving flood resiliency and include: Risk reduction
Resilience
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Flood Mitigation Resource Guide & Technical Report |