Phase 3: Next Steps
The LMFMS Leadership Committee is reviewing the Lower Mainland Flood Management Strategy initiative in 2022 to enhance and strengthen the strategy development process.
It is recognized as important that a regional strategy support and enhance First Nations engagement and participation, in alignment with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and in compliance with the BC Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act.
A regional strategy is also expected to fit in the context of other initiatives, including a BC-wide flood strategy, climate adaptation initiatives and modernization of the Emergency Program Act of the Province of British Columbia.
The development timeline is proposed to be extended (to 2024), which is subject to funding. As the work advances, the degree of consensus among all orders of government will shape the approaches and recommendations as well as the timeline for finalizing and implementing the strategy. Various factors, including funding, will influence the timeline for implementation.
Once a strategy is completed, steps for implementation would be expected to include:
- Confirming decision-making processes
- Formalizing a funding program
- Finalizing priorities and actions at regional, subregional and local levels
- Determining roles and responsibilities
- Respecting Indigenous title and rights
- Complying with existing and evolving legislation and jurisdictions
As the facilitator of the LMFMS process, the Fraser Basin Council will continue to seek direction from the different orders of government to reduce flood risk in the Lower Mainland through a collaborative, regional-scale flood management strategy.