Municipal Natural Assets Initiative: City of Grand Forks, British Columbia

Published by: David Suzuki Foundation and partners
Authored by: Michelle Molnar, Jake Sahl, Michael Thompson, Joal Borggard, Graham Watt, Cavan Gates
Partners: Smart Prosperity Institute, Town of Gibsons, Roy Brooke and Associates
ISBN: 978-1-988424-20-0

Cities, Climate solutions British Columbia, Municipal Natural Assets Initiative, eco-assets, economics, water systems, natural capital, climate change

While Canada focuses on efforts to reduce climate change, there’s growing recognition that we can’t meet our climate change goals without finding ways to adapt. A natural assets management approach has the advantage of addressing both mitigation and adaptation, taking us to the next level of policy solutions.

The City of Grand Forks, which made headlines recently for devastating floods, considered flood-mitigation and related benefits provided by the Kettle River floodplain. The floodplain was found to provide between $500 and $3,500 per hectare in reducing flood damage to the city’s downtown buildings during high river flow events. Findings will help guide a study to recognize the floodplain’s larger watershed role and will be incorporated into the updated Official Community Plan.