In the wake of the November 2021 flooding, communities (both local governments and First Nations) have been under pressure to develop recovery plans with varying levels of capacity and resources and with little to no opportunity for collaboration.
West Coast Environmental Law is a member of the Build Back Better, Together Collaborative — a group of BC-based organizations and experts with the shared goal of helping BC’s upcoming flood recovery and management efforts achieve the best possible outcomes. We offer support from a diverse range of interests, experience and networks, including Indigenous groups, conservationists, farmers, environmental legal specialists, researchers and natural resource professionals. We hope to see BC move towards a more holistic, collaborative approach to flood management that benefits people and other species, like salmon.
Other Collaborative members include: Emergency Planning Secretariat (Indigenous-led); UBC Coastal Adaptation Lab, School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture; Ebbwater Consulting; Sto:lo Tribal Council; Watershed Watch Salmon Society; Resilient Waters Project; and Kerr Wood Leidal.
Build Back Better, Together Forum: On July 14th, 2022, the Collaborative hosted a forum bringing together Lower Fraser First Nations, Local Governments, and many provincial and federal ministries to advocate for a place-based, locally empowered Building Back Better Together approach. We were joined by 108 in person and 50 online participants.