Navigating Flood Risk
PhD graduate Shaieree Cottar studies how managed retreat has reshaped Quebec communities
Flooding is a deadly and costly natural hazard that is affecting Canadian cities with increased frequency. In 2017 and 2019, flooding events in the province of Quebec cost insurers approximately $338 million and the province more than $390 million.
Since 2016, Quebec has incorporated managed retreat, the strategic relocation of households who are vulnerable to flooding, as a component of their flood risk management plan. While this approach reduces risk for homeowners, it has left many communities “partially retreated,” with little guidance on how to manage vacant land left behind.
Shaieree Cottar, a recent PhD graduate from the Department of Geography and Environmental Management, researched climate change adaptation and Canadian policies related to disaster recovery, managed retreat and resilience building against hazards. She chose the Faculty of Environment because of the strength of its geography department and the opportunity to work with faculty who are leading cutting-edge research in climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction.
In a recently published article, Cottar completed a longitudinal study analyzing policy changes in the City of Gatineau’s flood management plan between 2014 and 2019, as well as the post-buyout land use decision-making process. Her research combined interviews, field visits, curated walking tours, and document analysis.
Results showed that Quebec’s flood risk management has evolved over five years to attempt to minimize the impacts of flooding on homeowners and municipalities. These changes included introducing a new buyout program with increased financial support, establishing a ministerial action group, and new policies for authorized development in flood zones.
The study also highlighted the challenges that the City of Gatineau now faces after successive rounds of property buyouts. Some neighborhoods include both vacant lots from previous buyout participants and occupied households, resembling a “checkerboard” area. Municipalities struggle with maintaining infrastructure in these areas, including waste collection, public transit, and snow removal. Vacant lots are difficult for the city to maintain and can cause issues like illegal waste disposal and squatting. Post-buyout land use projects have been limited, but there are opportunities to improve public spaces and stimulate local economic growth if these spaces are transformed into areas of green infrastructure like pollinator gardens, urban farming plots and social congregation spaces.
Cottar’s study is a first step toward deeper research on managed retreat. Future studies could explore “receiving communities”, the neighborhoods where relocated families settle, and assess their economic, social, and psychological well-being. Another promising area is leaseback or rentback schemes, where buyout participants remain in their homes by renting from the provincial government until the next flood, potentially reducing future buyout costs.
Today, Cottar serves as a Senior Research Analyst at Public Safety Canada’s Canadian Centre for Recovery and Resilience, a joint initiative with the Institute for Catastrophic Loss Reduction.
The research, Navigating land use after managed retreat: decisions facing local governments in the postbuyout environment, authored by Cottar and others, was recently published in Environmental Hazards.
