Essay Sample on Canada's Floods: A Growing Risk and Government Responsibility

Introduction

Over the years, floods have been topping the list of the most dangerous property damaging sources in Canada, with theft and fire coming second and third, respectively. As a result of dynamic climate and increasing industrialization, the possibility of more floods in the future cannot be ruled out. The government's responsibility to address floods in Canada has constituted 80% of the total cost spent on disaster assistance by the government. The provincial and federal governments have adjusted policies for flood management due to the financial liability they are incurring. The omnipresent floods in the country demand a 'resilient Canada.' This paper discusses the importance of communication in fighting ignorance, illiteracy, and naive among Canadians. Different flood processes, together with their frequency as well as regions associated. The paper finally highlights possible future implications of climate, future risks, and the importance of such a proactive measure.

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The public's expenditure on floods is expected to inflate in the next couple of years (Henstra & Thistlethwaite, 2017). Consequently, the authorities have been twisting their rules to minimize costs by involving property owners. The assumption made in this policy change maintains that homeowners will assume the responsibility of addressing flood issues by getting flood insurance. The rationality behind this policy change is that property owners will take full responsibility for flood control, upon noticing government negligence. This policy highlights the risks, dangers, and barriers to flooding responsibility sharing in Canada (Henstra & Thistlethwaite, 2017). It starts with a risk-sharing discourse as a management risk of floods. The policy seeks to involve other actors in the society, who are beneficiaries of flood mitigation as well as those whose actions may trigger the occurrence of more floods, in sharing the costs and responsibility (Henstra & Thistlethwaite, 2017).

The policy asserts that public expenditure will reduce the risk-sharing. It also incorporates numerous stakeholders, thereby increasing the workforce and involving skilled personnel and expertise. Additionally, constraining property owners to get flood insurance coverage can be a solid risk-sharing mechanism strategy (Henstra & Thistlethwaite, 2017). As a result, insurance coverage has been available and reliable than ever before. The risk-sharing policy has led to a reduction of government expenditure on floods property. Again, owners are now responsible than ever since they have been involved in risk-sharing.

In Canada, the frequency and severity of flooding have been facilitated by inadequate infrastructure, the growing population, and change in climate and the increasing development in flood-prone areas (Stewart & Rashid, 2011). The Canadian economy is in jeopardy due to the inflating costs that are being associated with floods in the country. The country experiences a deficit of $1.2 billion due to flooding, with insurance covering less than half of this (Stewart & Rashid, 2011). Overland flooding is costing federal disaster financial assistance arrangements most (Stewart & Rashid, 2011). In Ontario, flood water damage is the prime facilitator of household insurance (Stewart & Rashid, 2011). Despite the consequences of floods, the majority of the natives lack the relevant awareness of their flood risks and capacity to anticipate the future crisis. A study carried out in 2016 reported that only 6% of the 2300 natives understood their risks, and less than 30% have formulated strategies to keep their property safe against flood damage (Stewart & Rashid, 2011). This ignorance and inability to anticipate demands a drastic response before a catastrophic failure occurs.

In this case, communication is a crucial tool for enlightenment and change in behavior. The information, tools, and strategies of dealing with floods will enlighten Canadians, thereby reducing flood damage and risks. Awareness will also address personal barriers, which may include; ignorance, unable t get the right information, and time. Again, empowering Canadians to be resilient and believe in their ability to put up with situations can be a pretty good solution. All these strategies will equip Canadians with the proper knowledge technique and confidence to address the menace of flooding without fear and retreat.

The threat of floods in Canada is omnipresent and ubiquitous. In 2013, sections of Southern Alberta and the greater Calgary were covered by floods following dark moments of a devastating thunderstorm and heavy rainfall, which the death of thousands and scores displaced (Re, 2016). This facilitated a move by the government to declare a state of emergency and ordered the evacuation of 26 neighborhoods. A few weeks later, Toronto suffered heavy rainfall, which leads to flooding (Re, 2016). Alberta province's economic loss as a result of flooding was unimaginable (Re, 2016). The data provided is an indication that floods in Canada are a problem that is within and an issue which is there to stay.

Therefore, according to the assertions of this article, creating a 'flood resilience' is very critical. This resilience could be a consolidation of actions from the homeowners, insurance industry, and the government as well (Re, 2016). A multi-stakeholder strategy which takes a holistic approach to address flood risks would save Canada from drowning in floodwaters. This approach would take into account the zoning laws which restrict people from constructing in vulnerable areas like rivers (Re, 2016). Flood controls in mostly affected and vulnerable regions would again create a 'power to adapt.' For instance, floodway in Winnipeg, where the safety of about 700 years is guaranteed, ascertaining a prosperous future local economy (Re, 2016). Systems to warn early in advance, stand-by emergency response, during and after the occurrence of a disaster would be a prudent strategy for the Canadians to establish a bearable relationship with the menace (Re, 2016). The benefits of insurance in compensating damaged belongings cannot be ruled out. For the whole community to be resilient, this literature believes that the three key players must merge efforts and formulate mitigation strategies and ways of implementing them, together.

Different processes are responsible for the occurrence of floods in Canada. A reliable record-keeping historical data should be constructed to address the elusive facilitators of floods in the country (Buttle, Allen, Caissie, Davison, Hayashi, Peters, D & Whitfield, 2016). This would serve accurate data that would assist in tracing and understanding the processes that facilitate floods in different locations and times and examine the permanent and temporary changes in frequency and magnitude. Rain-fall, ice-jam, rain-on-snow, and snowmelt facilitated floods need to be put on the record and given much attention (Buttle et al., 2016). Global warming has seen the change in snowmelt floods to rain-on-snow flood, a phenomenon that has confused individuals that are controlling floods in the respective places (Buttle et al., 2016). Changing sea levels may alter storm speed, thereby causing storm-triggered flooding (Buttle et al., 2016).

The dysfunctional Canadian Disaster Database should be put into consideration. Since the damages of floods in the country are getting severe day by day, drastic actions need to be taken to warrant a consistent and reliable Canadian Disaster Database. Approaches to address floods in different regions will depend on the cause. Differences in land cover, physiography, geology, and hydroclimate mean different policies. For instance, in the Prairie landscape, hydrological factors should be taken into account as well as water locations (Buttle et al., 2016). Documentation of these changes will provide reliable historical data that can be used to make the right decision to reduce the impacts of floods in different regions of Canada.

Climate is changing in Canada, and the implication of this is unbearable ( Gaur, Gaur & Simonovic, 2018). With such a dynamic climate, it is necessary to access the future consequences and anticipate the possible outcomes. In the course of making future projections, it is essential to account for different uncertainties. This will present a chance for policymakers to examine before guidelines are implemented. According to the survey, the frequency of floods in the future will be high in provinces in northern Canada (Gaur et al., 2018). These provinces include; southwestern Ontario, Nunavut, Yukon Territory, and Northers Territories (Gaur et al., 2018). Another prediction indicated that snowmelt floods would affect most parts of Canada. The information about future trends of floods can serve as the foundation of future decision making to curb the same. Proper and appropriate measures would then be put into place to anticipate the crisis. Future prediction and analysis will facilitate a proactive reaction. Researchers will get enough time to conduct an extensive study and explore empirical data. The information produced may also be used as a reference in the future.

This paper analyzes different literature regarding the history of flooding in Canada. Flooding in Canada is notoriously known for the mass destruction of human life and property. This has forced the three crucial players to respond in different ways. Different policies, procedures, and strategies have been put in place to mitigate the severity caused by this devastating natural disaster. To begin with, one of the literature narrates a policy used by the government to share risks with the property owners. This would not only reduce public spending but also involve affiliated stakeholders in bearing responsibility. Again the paper explores the unbearable frequency of floods in Canada. Through communication, Canadians would equip themselves with the right information tools and techniques to address flood problems conveniently. The omnipresent nature of the floods in the region is also put into account. Different measures are put into place to resolve the issue and make Canadians adapt and accept it as their way of life. Creating a 'resilient Canada' to flood is another concept discussed in the essay. A dysfunctional database that can be used to keep accurate information is essential for Canadians to ruck the occurrence of floods. The dynamic climate, which is associated with several flood implications, is extensively discussed. Future possibilities of floods, together with the possible areas of occurrence, are highlighted to help Canadians anticipate for future risks.

References

Buttle, J. M., Allen, D. M., Caissie, D., Davison, B., Hayashi, M., Peters, D. L. ... & Whitfield, P. H. (2016). Flood processes in Canada: Regional and special aspects. Canadian Water Resources Journal/Revue canadienne des ressources hydriques, 41(1-2), 7-30.

Gaur, A., Gaur, A., & Simonovic, S. (2018). Future Changes in Flood Hazards across Canada under a Changing Climate. Water, 10(10), 1441.

Henstra, D., & Thistlethwaite, J. (2017). Flood Risk and Shared Responsibility in Canada: Operating on Flawed Assumptions?.Re, S. (2016). The road to flood resilience in Canada. Swiss Reinsurance Company Ltd, Zurich.

Stewart, R. M., & Rashid, H. (2011). Community strategies to improve flood risk communication in the Red River Basin, Manitoba, and Canada. Disasters, 35(3), 554-576.