Flooding is Canada’s costliest and most frequent natural disaster.

“Weather-related natural disasters are getting more severe, more frequent, more damaging and more expensive.  This is a threat not only to the safety of our communities, but to our economic stability.  Through the National Disaster Mitigation Program, the Government of Canada is determined to reduce these risks in partnership with provinces and territories.  The investments announced today are crucial in helping Alberta better prepare for and respond to flood risks.”

—    Randy Boissonnault, Member of Parliament for Edmonton Centre and Special Advisor to the Prime Minister on LGBTQ2 Issues, on behalf of the Honourable Ralph Goodale, Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness

“The 2013 floods affected many communities in Alberta. Flood mapping and community risk assessment projects co-funded by the province and the federal government will help build safer communities over the long term. Our ability to leverage federal funding allows our provincial investment in flood resilience to go even further, including provincial funding for flood mitigation work in communities across the province.”

- The Honourable Shannon Phillips, Minister of Alberta Environment and Parks and Minister Responsible for the Climate Change Office

• The NDMP reflects an investment of $200 million over five years, of which $183 million is available for cost-shared, merit-based projects with provinces and territories to reduce the impacts of natural disasters.

• Since the launch of the NDMP in 2015, the NDMP has approved funding for 273 projects across Canada that are helping to build safer, more resilient communities.

• Through the NDMP, the Government of Canada is helping to address rising flood risks and costs and build the foundation for informed investments that could reduce, or even negate, the effects of flood events.

• In addition to investing in provincial and territorial flood mitigation projects through the NDMP, the Government of Canada:

  • is investing in public awareness activities and risk and resiliency tools like the Federal Flood Mapping Guidelines, to help all levels of government to make informed decisions around flood mitigation;
  • has created a new $2 billion federal Disaster Mitigation and Adaptation Fund to support the infrastructure required to deal with the effects of a changing climate; and
  • is integrating climate resilience into the National Building Code and conducting research to factor climate resilience into the design of buildings.

• According to the Insurance Bureau of Canada, insured damage in 2016 topped $4.9 billion – passing the previous annual record of $3.2 billion set in 2013—and that the annual economic cost of disasters around the world has increased five-fold since the 1980s.   Flooding damage has accounted for 80 per cent of federal disaster assistance payments over the past 20 years.

• Studies have demonstrated that every dollar invested in mitigation generates a savings of six dollars in future disaster costs.

Related products

• National Disaster Mitigation Program funding to the Province of Alberta: Projects at a glance

Associated links

• National Disaster Mitigation Program
• FloodReady
• Federal Flood Mapping Guidelines
• Integrating climate resilience into the National Building Code

Scott Bardsley
Senior Advisor for Communications
Office of the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness
613-998-5681
scott.bardsley@canada.ca

Media Relations
Public Safety Canada
613-991-0657
ps.mediarelations-relationsaveclesmedias.sp@canada.ca