The province has started work on preparing for the 2024 wildfire season, as well as other potential disasters.
This work is a part of the Emergency Management Act that the province calls “the most comprehensive and forward-looking emergency management legislation in Canada.”
They said an “expert task force on emergencies is also well underway and will reinforce the legislation by providing action-oriented recommendations.”
“In B.C., summers are getting hotter, winters are getting more unpredictable, and flooding is becoming more severe. The new Emergency and Disaster Management Act places a greater emphasis on mitigating the impacts of emergencies before they happen,” said George Heyman, acting Minister of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness, and Minister of Environment and Climate Change Strategy.
This includes emphasizing disaster risk reduction, implementing “climate-informed risk assessments,” and including Indigenous communities as partners in the process.
Terry Teegee, Regional Chief of the BC Assembly of First Nations, said: “The Chiefs in B.C. recently supported the First Nations Disaster Risk Reduction Action Plan that guides priorities for improving emergency management jurisdiction and services by First Nations. B.C. and local governments must respect and implement First Nations priorities, laws and policies. The climate emergency affects First Nations disproportionately more than any other people and we have only seen inadequate investments in all pillars of emergency management. All new regulations require First Nations to co-draft, co-develop and reach consent. We applaud the Province’s efforts to improve emergency management in B.C.”
The act comes with an initial $18 million price tag for communities across the province to “consult and collaborate in advance of emergency events.”
You can read more about the act here.