Colwood has earned a $300k grant from the Union of BC Municipalities for disaster risk reduction and climate adaptation. Understanding the natural hazards and climate-related risks our community faces is a vital first step in developing strategies and tools to prepare, mitigate, and adapt to those risks. This funding will support us all to better safeguard the health and well-being of our community.

Over the next two years the City will be engaging with residents to help us conduct a Community Risk Assessment, develop Disaster Risk Reduction Strategies and Policies, create a Mental Health Resilience Strategy, and develop related public education and outreach tools.

We’ll use creative approaches to involve the community in this work, including an interactive art installation to increase understanding and generate dialogue about disaster risk reduction and climate adaptation.

This funding will help the City to build internal capacity and increase strategies to reduce disasters and adapt to the changing climate. Throughout the next two years, staff and elected officials will be undertaking specialized training to increase knowledge, skills, and informed decision-making. It will support the development of tools to guide staff in advancing the design and implementation of effective nature-based solutions for climate action, including disaster risk reduction.

This initiative is important for Colwood to meet current provincial requirements for emergency planning as well as new and upcoming requirements under the recently updated Emergency and Disaster Management Act.  Preparing for and reducing climate change related risks and vulnerabilities is now integrated into this work, which will help to build resiliency throughout our community.

Learn more

Learn more about Colwood’s Climate Action Plan and watch for ways to get involved as the project gets underway – including on our website, in our e-newsletter and through Let’s Talk Colwood.

Media contact

Sandra Russell, Communications Manager
srussell@colwood.ca

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