Improving Coastal Flood Adaptation Approaches to Minimize Infrastructure Risk Using Engineers Canada PIEVC Protocol (ICFAA)

Surrey coastal floodplains are predicted to experience more flooding events in the future resulting from two main effects of climate change: sea level rise and increased precipitation in winter months. In anticipation of these climate change impacts the City of Surrey is developing the Coastal Flood Adaptation Strategy (CFAS) to increase resilience in the affected area. The high-level CFAS, a previously approved MCIP project, will identify the current and future climate change impacts on Surrey’s coastal floodplain. To compliment the CFAS, Surrey has initiated a project of Improving Coastal Flood Adaptation Approaches (ICFAA) for the purpose of assessing the vulnerability of infrastructure assets within a high-risk subsection of the floodplain. The plan will use Engineers Canada Public Infrastructure Engineering Vulnerability Committee’s (PIEVC) Protocol and High-level Screening Tool as a framework to explore short and long-term options for adaptation as well as communicate the findings and coordinate implementation with infrastructure providers. Previously concluded stakeholder engagement workshops led to the identification and preliminary risk assessment of specific infrastructure groups such as; transportation, utilities, marine, and flood control. An engineering analysis on these high risk infrastructure groups will be conducted to generate micro-scale adaptation options leading to the final ICFAA plan. The project will be led by the City of Surrey’s Engineering Department who through ongoing collaboration with consultants will aim to leverage the skills and knowledge of local experts and industry professionals. Final report presentation to the Surrey Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, as well as mayor and council, will be conducted in conjunction with launching various multimedia public communication tools to reach a broader audience and facilitate transfer of knowledge. In addition to the aforementioned CFAS, this plan aligns with existing municipal policy including the City of Surrey’s Climate Adaptation Strategy (2013), and the City of Surrey’s Sustainability Charter 2.0 (2016)While the ICFAA plan focuses on infrastructure assets, the identified technical adaptation options will have a great potential to provide a host of environmental, social and economic co-benefits through preservation of biodiverse natural areas, protection of human health and safety, and decreased likelihood of infrastructure service disruptions. Surrey is committed to sharing their experiences and knowledge obtained through this initiative which should result in high replicability and knowledge sharing for other coastal communities.