Want to have your say on how B.C. manages the climate crisis? There’s still time to submit feedback

Public feedback on the provincial government’s draft Climate Preparedness and Adaptation Strategy is open until Aug. 12.

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The B.C. government is asking residents to have their say on the future work needed to address the climate and ecological crises.

Public feedback on the draft Climate Preparedness and Adaptation Strategy is open until Aug. 12, on the government’s public engagement website at www.engage.gov.bc.ca/climatereadybc

B.C.’s Environment Minister George Heyman says residents understand the impacts of climate change having experienced record wildfires, extreme drought and increased flooding.

“Our government is taking action now to build on the important work already underway to understand and prepare for climate change in British Columbia. Public engagement and input is critical to make sure that our strategy best serves and protects people and natural systems in the years to come,” Heyman said, in a statement Wednesday.

Heyman says in the first phase of the strategy, B.C. will work with Indigenous Nations and local governments to strengthen community resilience, begin work on a B.C. flood strategy, improve the provincial response to extreme heat and wildfire smoke for people who are unhoused and housing insecure, and assess climate impacts on vulnerable highway culverts and resource roads.

The draft strategy includes proposed actions to expand cultural and prescribed burning to reduce wildfire risks, support nature-based climate solutions, support pilot projects for water supply and demand management and establish an ocean acidification plan.

The climate strategy is part of the province’s CleanBC plan, and a final version of the plan is expected to be released early next year.

ticrawford@postmedia.com