Drought, lack of rain, high temperatures and wildfires by the numbers in B.C.
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This week, the B.C. government released the most-recent climate-related reports on its website. Two years have passed since the government first started publishing data on climate change on its website (at the time, the site only covered British Columbia and Alberta). And so far, so good.
In September of 2013, the government released its long-expected Climate Change Adaptation and Vulnerability Report. This report, which is now available on the government’s website, was the first time government scientists and environment ministry staff discussed and prepared for what was an urgent need to better understand the potential impacts of climate change on our province’s communities. It was also the first time the government was able to demonstrate what the potential impacts would be and why we should take them into account.
This year, after three years of preparation and research, the government released the third and perhaps final report on the impacts of climate change. So far, we have discussed the report’s key findings at the table and within the pages of the report itself. They include:
The vulnerability of human communities around the province has increased 30 per cent since 1985, but has not reached the point whereby communities will be unable to adapt and withstand the effects of climate change.
The impacts of climate change on agriculture and fishing have decreased significantly, and while impacts still remain, the overall loss of agricultural and fisheries productivity is decreasing.
The impact that climate change will have on the hydroelectricity industry is low but not negligible.
The report also looks at how communities can be supported to adapt.
The province has identified three key needs for communities to adapt to the impacts of climate change:
Community education and awareness about climate change;
Government policy and action to help communities cope with the impacts of climate change; and
Government support, especially through the Canada Emergency Response Benefit, to make adaptation and mitigation possible for communities.
In short, if we can adapt and mitigate the effects of future climate change, we should
