The Value of a Coastal Flood Risk Assessment for the City of Vancouver in a Changing Climate (PAP014723)

Código

PAP014723

Autores

Tamsin S. Lyle, Tamsin Mills

Tema

Floods in a changing climate

Resumo

The City of Vancouver, Canada, has recognised that despite global mitigation efforts, climate change will impact the City?s future. Anticipated impacts include more intense and frequent wind and rain storms and sea level rise. Adaptation to these climate changes will require a mix of policy, planning and engineering responses. Prior to identifying preferred mitigation strategies, a comprehensive understanding of the consequences of sea level rise and ocean flooding is required. The City of Vancouver is undertaking a coastal flood risk assessment (CFRA) to acquire a broad base of technical, policy and planning knowledge that will be used to develop a robust and defensible approach to flood risk.A multi-disciplinary consultant team is working together with the City to develop the inputs for a risk assessment, including inundation mapping, vulnerability assessments and an asset inventory. These data sets together with flood damage information from HAZUS, a flood consequence tool developed by US FEMA and supported by Natural Resources Canada, was be used to look at consequences to coastal flooding.Over the course of the project, the team has recognized the many uncertainties and gaps in the process of developing a CFRA for a modern, dense, urban city such as Vancouver. Especially when considering the long planning horizons required to prepare for and adapt to sea level rise. This paper highlights the many obstacles and gaps in the assessment, but also describes the inherent value of the process and results. These include increased understanding of hazards and vulnerabilities, and the development of useful visual tools for engagement, planning and education.