SURREY COASTAL FLOOD ADAPTATION STRATEGY

Surrey, Canada
Surrey City Government

Located on the Pacific Coast in British Columbia, Canada, 20% of the city of Surrey lies within the coastal floodplain. The Coastal Flood Adaptation Strategy was completed through five stages, with the final phase, reporting back, delivering a document summarizing the findings of the previous phases. The first phase focused on the priorities of the city and who would be affected by coastal climate change, followed by a phase outlining options for actions and how acceptable they were to the community, and a phase that addressed options for implementation. This process of envisioning, refining and evaluating moved from technical evaluations to discussions of social equity, and took place over the course of three years. The risk identification segment of the planning process focused on communities and residential areas, as well as the local and regional economy supported by infrastructure, and the large amount of farmland in the metro-Vancouver area. The plan engaged Semiahmoo First Nation, residents, farmers, agricultural workers, community and environmental organizations, business association and groups, as well as provincial and federal agencies and ministries. This engagement took place in a variety of forums, from social media impressions to project open houses. The plan has won awards for planning excellence, as well as a climate and energy action award. As a result of the community-driven approach, Surrey was awarded Canadian $77.6 million in a federal grant through Canada’s Disaster Mitigation Adaptation Fund in 2019, allowing the city to move forward with the development of thirteen of the Coastal Flood Adaptation Strategy projects, which are scheduled to be completed by 2027.

2019
78208 acres
15 feet above sea level

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