Opinion- B.C.’s unprecedented weather disasters require bold investment in watershed security - The Globe and Mail

But heading off the worst effects of fire, drought and flooding is still possible if we rebuild the natural protections of our watersheds. [...] The benefits of strengthening these natural protections from extreme- weather events is reinforced by the massive response and recovery costs of recent damages. [...] This left farms submerged, homes and businesses destroyed, salmon habitat washed away, and water undrinkable; by the time the floods receded, the cost of recovering from the damage topped $9-billion. [...] To match the scale of the threat, the BC Watershed Security Coalition has identified that at least $75-million in funding per year is needed. [...] According to an October poll by the Real Estate Foundation of BC and the University of Victoria’s POLIS Water Sustainability Project, 78 per cent support major investments in watershed security to protect fresh water in the province.