TWENTY YEARS OF FLOOD RISK MAPPING UNDER THE CANADIAN NATIONAL FLOOD DAMAGE REDUCTION PROGRAM

摘要

1. The FDR Program was developed and initiated in the mid-1970s because of the joint occurrence of a number of factors: recognition of increasing pressure on floodplain lands; increasing demands on federal and provincial budgets for flood control structures, disaster assistance and 'cleanup' projects; the notice that the existing system resulted in a transfer of funds to floodplain dwellers and was unfair; the dedication and talent of federal and provincial officials; and the occurrence of a number of damaging floods across the country. 2. The Flood Risk Mapping Program was the cornerstone of the FDR Programs. The designated flood risk areas on high-quality maps are the basis for land use restrictions enforced by federal, provincial and municipal governments. 3. Over the period 1976-1998, the FDR Program, based on flood risk maps, has been extremely successful in identifying urban flood risk areas across Canada and in redirecting flood prone development away from flood risk areas. 4. The FDR program is now in a transition phase. The challenges are to maintain and update the mapping and to adapt to the "downloading" of responsibilities from federal and provincial governments to municipal governments.