Just in time for flooding and wildfire seasons: New, interactive climate maps of B.C.’s Southern Interior.
Released by Interior Health on Friday, the maps show detailed information regarding heat, flooding, smoke and cold data for 10 regional districts.
Each regional district has its own map, and users are able to select distinct layers showing vulnerabilities, capacities and sensitivities for each climate aspect.
For example, under heat, users can select maps showing:
- Heat vulnerability
- Heat exposure
- Heat sensitivity
- Heat adaptive capacity.
Each climate aspect has four layers, for a total of 16 layers that users can view.
Interior Health says the maps, created by its Healthy Communities program, focus on four commonly experienced climate-related hazards in B.C.
“Recent events have demonstrated the importance of planning and preparing for natural disasters associated with climate change,” said IH president and CEO, Susan Brown.
“These new Community Health and Climate Change maps will support the safety and well-being of people living across the region and we encourage everyone to take the opportunity now to plan for the effects of climate change.”
Interior Health says the maps project risks and probability related to weather-related events in the Interior.
“The maps will not only help with city planning, but can also effectively define resource allocation during natural disasters,” said Interior Health.
Similar maps have also been created for Vancouver Coastal Health and Fraser Valley Health.
“The maps show the communities that are most vulnerable to different climate hazards and allow us to focus our efforts and work together to plan and prepare,” said Interior Health chief medical officer Dr. Sue Pollock.
“For example, the maps show communities that may be more affected by heat; this information helps us identify appropriate actions that communities can take in order to keep people healthy and safe.”
The maps are available through Interior Health’s Community Health and Climate Change website.
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