FIRE & FLOOD – FACING TWO EXTREMES IN BRITISH COLUMBIA (Part 4): “B.C. First Nations are particularly vulnerable to the effects of climate change, which could bring more intense and frequent flooding and wildfires, with many reserves and treaty lands located close to water or forest, yet minimally protected,” wrote Gordon Hoekstra and Glenda Luymes (May 2022)
NOTE TO READER:
In the 7-part series published by Postmedia, and title,Fire & Flood: Facing Two Extremes, reporters Gordon Hoekstra and Glenda Luymes reveal that B.C. has fallen dangerously short of what’s required to protect our cities and towns from extreme weather events like we saw in 2021.And we fall further behind every year.
First Nations fight for a seat in planning fire and flood defences
“In the past two decades, slightly more than 50 B.C. First Nations, a quarter of those in the province, have completed work such as forest thinning to reduce wildfire risk on 49 square kilometres, an area 12 times the size of Stanley Park, according to statistics compiled by Postmedia from the province, the Crown agency Forest Enhancement Society of B.C. and independent reports,” wrote Gordon Hoekstra and Glenda Luymes.
“That’s less than one per cent of the 11,000 square kilometres identified by government as requiring wildfire risk reduction in and around B.C. communities, including First Nations.”
