Community-Engaged Flood Mapping

In 2018, P4A contributed applied research and recommendations to Natural Resource Canada's Federal Floodplain Mapping Guideline Series. This research examined the critical role that flood maps serve in advancing flood risk awareness, and provided guidelines for how to facilitate equitable and participatory community engagement throughout the flood mapping process.

In 2025, Natural Resources Canada engaged P4A again to develop an updated set of guidelines for the Series. This guidelines report offers a practical framework for municipal staff and elected officials, watershed organizations, community-based organizations and NGOs, community leaders, industry and private sector professionals involved in flood risk management on how to engage communities throughout the flood mapping process. This guide does not offer a one-size-fits-all model for community engagement. Instead, it provides a flexible, step-by-step approach that can be adapted to your needs, whether it is designing a new flood map, updating old data, or communicating flood risk to the public. To support implementation, these guidelines introduce a five-step engagement toolkit built around these key questions: Why? Who? How? What? Where? When? What next?

Stay tuned for the release of our newest report!

In 2018, P4A produced two reports for Natural Resources Canada that look at the role of flood maps in community engagement and risk awareness at the community level. The results of this report provided P4A with helpful data on flood mapping and how to prepare flood maps for public use most effectively.

Recommendations include:

• Tailor maps for specific audience and purpose.
• Pair flood maps with local information that the community can relate to.
• Include information about historical floods.
• Provide flood maps online and promote them regularly as a continuous reminder of flood hazards.
• Use real-time gauge levels.
• Complement flood maps with information about the consequences of flooding and tangible protective actions.

Learn more here.

In 2018, P4A produced two reports for Natural Resources Canada that look at the role of flood maps in community engagement and risk awareness at the community level. The results of this report highlighted the need for interactive and engaging tools that recognize the unique wants and needs of each community. 

Recommendations include:

• Listen to the needs and wants of each community, as each community is unique.
• Engagement tools are most effective when they are interactive.
• Utilize multiple tools and platforms to optimize engagement efforts.
• Good facilitation is key for conducting effective community engagement.
• Make project information, resources, and deliverables available to the public online.

Learn more here.