The Cowichan Valley Regional District will receive $400,000 in provincial funding for a tsunami modelling and mapping project.
The intent of the project is to improve the understanding of disaster risks from tsunamis caused by earthquakes and underwater land and sand slides around the Cowichan Valley.
The CVRD’s committee of the whole voted unanimously that the board apply to the BC Disaster Resiliency and Innovation Fund for the funding to carry out tsunami modelling in the CVRD at a meeting in March.
Ryan Wainwright, the senior manager of Emergency Management Cowichan, said at the time that the CVRD’s current regional hazard, risk and vulnerability analysis does not list tsunamis.
He said that’s because the district doesn’t have validated and updated information to give emergency planners an idea as to how to quantify the risk on tsunamis, so a study is recommended to assess those risks.
Debra Toporowski, the MLA for the Cowichan Valley, said the NDP government wants people in the Cowichan Valley to know their communities are ready in case of an emergency.
“Our government supports local partners doing this crucial work for emergency preparedness,” she said.
Across B.C., 46 communities are receiving approximately $41 million for 61 projects from the new Disaster Resilience and Innovation Funding program that will help reduce the impact of future climate disasters by addressing current vulnerabilities and by supporting informed planning and decision making.
The program provides support to First Nations and local governments for projects that will enhance their ability to withstand and adapt to natural hazards and climate-caused disasters.
Another project that will receive $400,000 from the program is the City of Nanaimo’s sea-level rise management plan.
This project will help the city plan for and manage potential sea-level rise before severe impacts occur, and ensure new infrastructure is designed and located to be resilient to sea-level rise and coastal flooding impacts.
“As a coastal city, it is so important for Nanaimo to be prepared to face the threat of rising sea levels," said Sheila Malcolmson, MLA for Nanaimo-Gabriola Island.
"This funding will help the city plan ahead, and set-up our community to adapt with climate change.”
