Preparing for Climate Change
— Securing British Columbia's Water Future
A Look at the Program
A new initiative is underway to help BC communities adapt to climate change and its impacts. The program, Preparing for Climate Change: Securing BC's Water Future — also known as the BC Regional Adaptation Collaborative (RAC) — consists of 21 collaborative projects across the province to support decision-making on water allocation and use, forest and watershed management, flood protection and floodplain management and community planning. The emphasis is on building regionally relevant tools and information, and on integrating climate change adaptation into planning and decision-making.
The Fraser Basin Council and BC Ministry of Environment - Climate Action Secretariat are managing the initiative, with $3.3 million in funding from Natural Resources Canada and another $3.3 million in funding and in-kind contributions from provincial ministries, local governments, First Nations, non-governmental organizations, the private sector and academia. The initiative began in September 2009 and runs through 2012.
BC's Regional Adaptation Collaborative is one of a number of similar collaborations underway across Canada. To find out more about RAC initiatives in other parts of Canada, visit http://adaptation.nrcan.gc.ca/collab/index_e.php.
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Projects in Four Key Areas
Preparing for Climate Change: Securing BC's Water Future will advance adaptive decision-making in four interrelated areas. Learn more about each area and the projects:
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Water Allocation and Use
These projects help agricultural producers reduce their water use. They also support water management planning in regions where climate change is leading to a diminished water supply and potential conflicts over water use.
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Learn more |
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Forest and Watershed Management
These projects help developers and resource managers maintain the aquatic values of fisheries-sensitive watersheds and streams in forested and urban watersheds affected by climate change. The focus is on creating practical tools and developing recommendations to improve existing regulations |
Learn more |
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Flood Protection and Floodplain Management
These projects are directed at helping engineering, planning and other professionals who are involved in the management of flood-prone areas. The aim is to update relevant provincial guidelines and develop tools and local adaptation options that better take into account the impacts of climate change. |
Learn more |
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Community Adaptation
These projects focus on building knowledge and tools to help municipalities, regional districts and First Nations incorporate climate change adaptation into community planning processes and decision-making. |
Learn more |
The Partnership
Preparing for Climate Change: Securing BC's Water Future is coordinated by the Fraser Basin Council and the BC Ministry of Environment, thanks to funding from Natural Resources Canada and additional funding or in-kind contributions from up to 50 other organizations. The initiative is also known as BC's Regional Adaptation Collaborative (RAC) and is one of a number of similar collaborations across the country, all within Natural Resource Canada's national program. To find out more about RAC initiatives in other parts of Canada, visit http://adaptation.nrcan.gc.ca/collab/index_e.php.
In BC, the organizations and agencies leading projects are:
- BC Conservation Foundation
- BC Ministry of Agriculture and Lands
- BC Ministry of Community and Rural Development
- BC Ministry of Environment
- Cariboo Regional District
- Columbia Basin Trust
- City of Prince George
- District of Saanich
- Fraser Basin Council
- Glenmore-Ellison Improvement District
- Metro Vancouver
- Okanagan Basin Water Board
- Pacific Climate Impacts Consortium
- Pacific Salmon Foundation
- University of British Columbia
- WWF - Canada
Contact Us
For general inquiries about the BC RAC, Preparing for Climate Change: Securing BC’s Water Future, contact:
Terry Robert, Manager, Fraser Basin Council
T: (250) 612-0252
E: trobert[at]fraserbasin.bc.ca
or
Jenny Fraser, Climate Change Adaptation Advisor
Ministry of Environment - Climate Action Secretariat
T: (250) 387-9330
E: Jenny.Fraser[at]gov.bc.ca
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