High water and flooding
In the face of the significant flooding in recent decades in Quebec, the implementation of adaptation measures is essential. Various measures can be implemented across the province, but they require the coordination and collaboration of many parties.
Floodplain mapping and planning
Proper land use planning can help reduce flood exposure by avoiding construction in high-risk areas. Maps are valuable tools for planning in flood-prone areas. They improve understanding of risks and contribute to informed planning and development decisions.
With this in mind, the government of Quebec undertook an initiative in 2017 to address flood risk management across the province, taking climate change into account, in collaboration with various partners. It led to the establishment of the INFO-Crue project, which aims to provide tools to delimit flood-prone areas in a large part of southern Quebec and set up a real-time forecasting system. This forecasting system will provide the authorities and the general population with forecast maps of the areas that could be flooded within a few days.
Benefit from an information kit on flooding in Quebec.
Learn more about INFO Crue.
Learn more
To access the forecast maps of flood-prone areas and the information provided by the INFO-Crue project, consult the Vigilance site from the Ministère de la Sécurité publique du Québec.
The Centre d'expertise hydrique du Québec provides data on the flows and levels of several watercourses in the province, which is used for dam management and civil protection in the event of flooding.
Structural measures
A resilient built environment
Resilience measures can be taken to protect buildings from flooding. These include:
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Higher foundations
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The use of water-resistant materials
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Installation of appropriate drainage systems
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Construction of protective walls
In addition, maintaining and strengthening existing infrastructure, particularly in flood-prone areas, is also important to reduce the risk of flooding and maximize its effectiveness.
Regulation of land use planning
Putting strict regulations in place for real estate development in flood-prone areas is a crucial adaptation measure. In Quebec, efforts are underway to modernize laws and standards to better manage flooding. A four-step process aims to better regulate floodplains and shorelines:
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Amendment the Environment Quality Act and the Act respecting land use planning and development to incorporate a regulatory framework based on the new mapping of flood zones, in particular.
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Replacement of the Protection Policy for Lakeshores, Riverbanks, Littoral Zones and Floodplains with a transitional policy based on existing mapping or current ratings. In particular, it establishes a system for municipal permits.
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The establishment of specific guidelines for flood protection infrastructure. One of the first initiatives is the Info-digues financial assistance program, which helps with conducting an initial diagnosis of flood protection infrastructure.
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A review of the flood mapping approach and the creation of a new regulatory framework that will gradually replace the transitional policy, mainly with respect to floodplain management.
Public awareness and education
Informing the public and raising awareness about flood risks, prevention measures and actions to take in an emergency can help reduce human and material losses during flood events. In addition, different individual measures can be put in place.
The Ministère de la Sécurité publique provides the public with tips on what to do before, during and after a flood. These include recommendations on creating a home emergency kit and plan, as well as information on obtaining financial assistance after a flood. For more information, consult the list of these measures on the ministry website.
Watershed-based integrated water resource management
In Quebec, watershed-based integrated water resource management is managed by its 40 watershed organizations (OBVs). The mandate of the OBV is to develop a water master plan in order to carry out a diagnosis of the watershed and to define the issues, orientations and objectives to be achieved.
OBVs take direct action based on the objectives identified in the water master plan, including measures to reduce runoff and prevent flooding. These may include revegetation of riverbanks, the construction of dams or dykes, or the creation of buffer zones.
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