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flood proofing and many others. These tools are presented and discussed in the Sea Level Rise Adaptation Primer: a Toolkit to Build Adaptive Capacity on Canada’s South Coasts. The intention of the Primer is to discuss the application of a range of tools in the context of sea level rise and highlight pros and cons of each tool so that governments can make informed decisions about the best long-term coastal development and protection strategies. The Primer is expected to be released in Fall 2012. Conclusion Adapting to sea level rise and other impacts of climate change will be an ongoing process that needs to be woven into plans, regulations and professional practice at all levels. The work discussed in this article represents an important first step in determining the technical methods and response tools needed to minimize risks associated with long-term sea level rise. v Tina Neale is a Climate Change Adaptation Advisor with the Climate Action Secretariat, BC Ministry of Environment. Jesal Shah PEng PE is a Flood Safety Engineer with the Ministry of Forests, Lands, and Natural Resource Operations. The authors will be presenting a session on “Preparing for Sea Level Rise in British Columbia: Science, Policy and Practice” at the 2012 APEGBC Annual Conference in Victoria, BC.

A high-level estimate by the National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy concluded that, in the absence of flood protection measures, sea level rise would increase annual costs of flood damage in BC by $838 million to $7.6 billion by the 2050s (www.climateprosperity.ca/eng/climate-prosperity-eng.php). The costs associated with preventing this damage through upgrades to dike infrastructure and expansion of the dike system is being estimated in a costing study commissioned by the Flood Safety Section. The study will produce a Class D costing to implement the sea level rise and recently published seismic guidelines. The study area includes the Metro Vancouver coastal shoreline and the Fraser River shoreline as far east as the Port Mann Bridge, totaling over 250 km. The report is expected to be released by the end of 2012. sea Level rise Adaptation Primer Bigger dikes and expansion of diked areas are not the only, or necessarily the most desirable, approaches to dealing with sea level rise. Approaches to adapting to sea level rise include avoiding development in areas that will be affected, accommodating occasional inundation, retreating from high-risk areas and protecting existing, high-value development. Local governments and other land use planning authorities have a range of tools available to implement these approaches. These include land use planning and zoning, development permits, land acquisition, structural flood protection,

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