Opportunities
Much of our community infrastructure – the roads, bridges, water supply, and waste management services that will be affected by climate change – fall under local and regional responsibility.
Managing water demand, protecting and restoring streams, lakes, bogs, and coastal estuaries, and protecting communities against sea level rise and flooding will be important components of creating a region resilient to the impacts of climate change.
Metro Vancouver works with federal, provincial, and local governments, First Nations, infrastructure providers like TransLink and other organizations to consider climate-related risks.
Incorporating climate change into local government infrastructure planning, design and operation can help maintain essential services in the face of climate impacts and reduce the risks associated with service disruptions.
The construction, maintenance and operation of infrastructure all contribute to greenhouse gas emissions in the region. Innovation in infrastructure design, upgrades, and operations can significantly reduce associated greenhouse gas emissions. Examples include:
- BC Hydro and Fortis BC create policies and infrastructure investments that will increase the supply of low carbon energy to the region.
- Two vulnerability assessments of Metro Vancouver's five sewerage areas have helped us understand and plan for the impacts of climate change on sewerage infrastructure. Examples are incorporating anticipated sea level rise into the design of new wastewater treatment plants and recognizing the value of improving how we manage rainwater.
- Studies by Metro Vancouver on changing rainfall patterns help local governments with their drainage and stormwater management planning.
- Reusing greywater and rainwater reduces the demand for potable water.
