To help strengthen resilience against climate-related hazards, the Province is providing funding to the City of Rossland for a project to help build climate resilience in the community.

Rossland will receive $40,000 to develop a climate action plan and report card, which will include disaster risk reduction and climate adaptation goals, objectives and strategies to mitigate risks to the community.

“British Columbians are concerned about the increasing effects of climate change and the emergencies we’re already experiencing – like drought, flooding, extreme heat and wildfires,” said Bowinn Ma, Minister of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness. “By funding local, on-the-ground projects, our government is helping First Nations and local governments protect their communities and keep people safer from future emergencies.”

The Province is providing a total of approximately $5 million to several communities through the Community Emergency Preparedness Fund (CEPF) under the Disaster Risk Reduction-Climate Adaptation stream. These investments also support the Province’s Climate Preparedness and Adaptation Strategy, which outlines a broad range of actions until 2025 to address adverse climate effects and build resilience throughout B.C.

“Being prepared for climate emergencies is crucial to keep people and homes safe,” said Katrine Conroy, MLA for Kootenay West. “Creating an Integrated Climate Action Plan will allow Rossland to better adapt and mitigate risk, giving people greater confidence that actionable plans are in place.”

In February 2023, the Province provided $180 million to CEPF, bringing the total provincial investment in the program to $369 million since its establishment in 2017. More than $165 million has been provided to First Nations and local governments through CEPF for approximately 1,600 projects that help communities prepare for disasters and climate-related emergencies. The CEPF is administered by the Union of BC Municipalities on behalf of the Province.

“The City of Rossland is excited and thankful for the approval of this important grant application supporting this project,” said Andy Morel, mayor of Rossland. “Being able to consolidate and update years of great work on climate action will assist council and staff in determining and strategizing the priorities that best serve and protect both the community and surrounding environment, which Rossland residents highly prize. Reducing climate change risks and supporting mitigation is a high priority for our community.”

In response to the growing number of climate-related emergencies in B.C., the Province also launched ClimateReadyBC, which provides mapping tools, risk data and resources to help communities better prepare and reduce the risk from disasters and climate emergencies.

Intake for the current Disaster Risk Reduction-Climate Adaptation stream will be open until March 28, 2024.

Learn More:

For information about the Community Emergency Preparedness Fund, visit: https://www.ubcm.ca/cepf

For information about disaster and climate-risk reduction, visit: https://www.ClimateReadyBC.ca

To learn about the Climate Preparedness and Adaptation Strategy, visit: http://www.gov.bc.ca/BC-Adapts