University of Waterloo and Pacific Institute for Climate Solutions researchers collaborate with BC Government on Economic Assessment for Managed Retreat report

In a proactive move towards enhancing flood resilience planning, researchers from the University of Waterloo and Pacific Institute for Climate Solutions (PICS) have partnered with the BC Provincial Government's Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship (the Ministry) to produce a series of pivotal research reports aimed at helping British Columbia (B.C.) communities to better prepare for and adapt to flooding.

In 2023, PICS was contracted by the Ministry to prepare three comprehensive reports under the umbrella of flood resilience planning. Collaborating with the PICS-funded Living with Water (LWW) project, the research was divided into three key areas: integrated flood mitigation planning, participatory governance mapping, and managed retreat.

The recently completed managed retreat report was led by UWaterloo PhD student, Ben Cross, and co-authored by Water Institute member Brent Doberstein and PICS researcher-in-residence Vanessa Lueck, with graphic support by Waterloo Climate Centre staff member Thy Huynh. The report focuses on identifying best practices for employing cost-benefit analysis and related decision-making tools for managed retreat, establishing robust guidance for both cost-benefit analysis and multi-criteria decision analysis, including multiple accounts analysis, to inform future decision-making processes.

The full report is now accessible on the Living with Water and PICS websites, serving as a foundational resource for discussions across B.C. regarding community-led managed retreat. Since February 2024, the Ministry has used a two-page summary version of the report to inform its ongoing managed retreat work.

For further information and to access the report, please visit:

• Living with Water
• PICS
• View the full report

• Explainer: The cost of cost-benefit analysis in flood adaptation 

The BC Government is actively developing Provincial managed retreat guidance, which includes essential decision-making frameworks for municipalities. The insights provided in this report will play a crucial role in shaping these government guidance documents, ensuring that communities across B.C. are equipped with the necessary tools to navigate the challenges posed by climate change and flooding.