B.C. commits $180M increase to emergency preparedness, climate change readiness

B.C. is boosting its funding for communities around the province to help prepare them for the risk of natural disasters due to climate change.

On Tuesday, the province announced it is committing $180 million to the Community Emergency Preparedness Fund (CEPF), which supports local governments and First Nations in B.C. to prepare for, and lessen the risk of natural disasters before they happen.

“B.C. has seen more than our share of climate disasters, so there’s [an] urgency to be ready and equipped to minimize damage and recover quickly when the worst happens,” said Premier David Eby. “New funding for projects in communities, combined with a new online hub of information resources for local leaders, will help us all be better prepared to face emergencies.”

The new funding brings the CEPF’s total investment to just shy of $370 million since 2017. The government notes the CEPF has historically funded projects such as a new dike in Merritt, public cooling infrastructure in Victoria, and tsunami evacuation planning in Tofino, on Vancouver Island’s west coast.

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Nazko First Nation Chief Leah Stump says her Nation, just west of Quesnel, is experiencing the impact of climate change in “full force,” noting the unprecedented wildfires, flooding, and heat waves it’s gone through most recently.

“The CEPF program will help us plan for these events and help us get ready for future climate emergencies by adapting our structures and enhancing our response capacity,” she said.

The government says it has also launched a new service, ClimateReadyBC, which will provide tools for communities to better prepare for future disasters and climate emergencies.

Through the service, communities will also be able to find information about what funding is available to them.

“Recent extreme weather events have caused a lot of destruction in B.C. and people are looking to our government to help keep them and their families safe,” said Bowinn Ma, Minister of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness. “Through ClimateReadyBC and a historic investment in CEPF, we’re increasing the tools and the resources communities need to
prepare for climate-related emergencies.”

Along with preparing for extreme heat, wildfires, and drought, the CEPF will also help communities in the province tool-up for the effects of extreme cold.

“Additionally, the funding stream for disaster-risk reduction and climate change adaption will support structural projects, such as dikes and pump stations, with funding of as much as $5 million, increased from $2 million,” the government states in a release.