BC Provincial Government:
Drought Response Plan

 

 

The Challenge:
Develop a provincial drought response plan for the BC Provincial Government (in partnership with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada) to help ensure that water needs for people and aquatic ecosystems are met in times of water scarcity.

 

The Project:

Because drought loomed while we completed this project due to extremely low snowpack levels, we need to complete it in a very short timeframe. Complicating things, because the previous year had been one of the driest on record, the eyes of many stakeholders including farmers, First Nations and recreational interests were on us.

We started with a review of best practice in Canada, the US, Europe and Australia. We also helped facilitate workshops across the province to collect stakeholder input. Then we looked at the resources already available in BC to help manage drought, including hydrometric monitoring done by the River Forecast Centre.

We built a plan around a system of Drought Response Levels from Green (normal conditions) to Red (extremely dry conditions). Each level has corresponding Drought Indicators Criteria that include information on streamflow, snowpack and precipitation. The plan also sets out communication, monitoring and preparation actions at each level for provincial, federal and local organizations.

 

The Result:
The BC Drought Response Plan has been fully approved. It continues to guide government responses in low water years. British Columbia is one of only three provinces to have such an approved drought plan in place.

The BC Drought Response Plan can be downloaded by clicking here.