Province supports climate-emergency readiness project in Rossland
By Province of British Columbia
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 we͛ re already experiencing ʹlike 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 Province͛ 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 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:
For information about disaster and climate-risk reduction, visit:
To learn about the Climate Preparedness and Adaptation Strategy, visit:
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