The City of New Westminster is receiving $1 million from the province to plant trees in support of its climate-adaptation efforts.
The province has announced about $39 million in funding for more than 50 local disaster-risk reduction and climate-adaptation projects through the Community Emergency Preparedness Fund.
"The climate crisis is here, and we need communities to adapt and strengthen their defences against flooding and other extreme-weather events," Bowinn Ma, Minister of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness, said in a news release. "We are working with local governments and First Nations to reduce disaster risk and better prepare people and communities for the impacts of climate change."
The Community Emergency Preparedness Fund is administered through the Union of BC Municipalities. It funds projects that support First Nations and local governments to better prepare for disasters and reduce risks from hazards in a changing climate.
"Climate change is increasing the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events across our province,” said Trish Mandewo, president of the Union of B.C. Municipalities. “As a result, communities in every region are rethinking their current level of preparedness in the context of extreme heat and flooding. The grants provided through this program will support risk mitigation and climate-adaptation efforts in each of the communities funded."
Community Emergency Preparedness Fund funding is divided into three categories: Category 1 – foundational activities (risk mapping, risk assessments, planning); Category 2 – non-structural activities (land-use planning, community education, purchase of eligible equipment); and Category 3 – small-scale structural activities.
New Westminster is receiving $1 million in Category 3. The money will be used for Phase 2 of its urban reforestation initiative, which aims to save lives and mitigate the impacts of climate change.
"Thank you to the Province of B.C. and the Union of BC Municipalities for supporting the City of New Westminster's efforts to mitigate the impacts of climate change,” said Mayor Patrick Johnstone in a news release. “The CEPF funding enables us to launch Phase 2 of our Urban Reforestation and Biodiversity Enhancement initiative, which aims to boost canopy coverage in those neighbourhoods most vulnerable to extreme heat."
According the province’s news release, New Westminster's Urban Biodiversity Enhancement initiative was launched in response to several fatalities due to extreme heat in June 2021.
“Phase 2 sees the installation of 532 trees on city streets to provide canopy cover for vulnerable people and reduce the impact of heat in high-risk blocks and keep people safer during extreme heat,” said the news release. “Phase 1 consisted of the planting of 2,200 trees in vulnerable neighbourhoods. The target is to plant 8,500 trees on city property by 2030.”
When announcing the Community Emergency Preparedness Fund funding, the province also announced it’s launching a new comprehensive B.C. Flood Strategy that will guide continued flood preparedness and mitigation work by all orders of government from now until 2035. The strategy is intended to support communities in their efforts to better prepare for flood impacts and strengthen their ability to respond to flood crises.
"After decades of piecemeal approaches to flood management, we have worked with communities to develop B.C.'s first integrated vision for provincial flood preparedness so we can keep people safe," said Nathan Cullen, Minister of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship. "The new B.C. Flood Strategy will guide our continued work with First Nations, local government agencies, the agricultural sector, industry and conservation organizations, as we take actions to reduce flood risk. Together, we can build stronger communities that are resilient to flood hazards in a changing climate.”
