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16 Illu s t r a t i o n : S a k o r n S u k k a s e m s a k o r n / i S t o c k B C B U S I N E S S . C A J A N U A R Y/ F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 5 and within the next century "our building stock is going to be totally transformed, and probably our relationship to the shoreline too." Unlike small coastal communities that can move to higher ground, densely populated urban areas will be forced to adapt, he adds, and infrastructure from rail lines to essential port structures could be put at risk. "There's so much infrastructure that's critical to Canada on the Fraser Delta," he says. "The aggregate wealth that you're protecting is in the trillions of dollars." The District of North Van- couver estimates that a one- metre rise in sea level com- bined with a single moderate storm could lead to a stagger- ing $900 million in damage. According to Jason Ho, manager of engineering plan- ning for the City of Richmond, the municipality—which is, on average, just one metre above sea level—has been plan- ning for sea level rise for two decades, and currently has 49 kilometres of dikes, 39 drain- age pump stations and over 800 kilometres of drainage, culverts and watercourses. The city is also working to raise and widen dikes to accommodate a 1.2-metre rise in sea level, and upgrade the drainage network. So far the city hasn't had to acquire much private land to accommodate the wider dikes and other mitigation measures, but Ho expects that will soon change and significantly add to upgrade costs. At the same time, Richmond is sinking by roughly two millimetres per year, so when properties are redeveloped or roads recon- structed, they are raised to the city's flood construction level. The greatest challenge, he says, is footing the hefty bills. "One of the things we're push- ing senior governments to do is establish a dedicated source of funding for municipalities," he says, "because no munici- pality is able to tackle this on its own." Mark Sakai, advocacy projects manager with the BC Real Estate Association, says that because the risk of rising tides isn't yet tangible, people are mostly ignoring the issue. But that won't be an option for much longer. "There's a really interest- ing shift that will likely hap- pen in the coming decades as people start to realize there are more and more risks to specific properties that have traditionally been very attrac- tive and highly valued," says Sakai, who expects property values to be pushed down when owners can't get insur- ance, or when they need to pay large sums for mitigation. Realtors will also need to educate clients about the climate risks in their areas, he adds. They will need to advise their clients "on what type of impacts those risks have on the current purchase price and the potential future selling price, and what changes they may have to make to the property to harden it against risk," says Sakai. "You want people to be able to make those decisions with open eyes." Some condo buildings are already seeing the effects of saltwater intrusion, says Tony Gioventu, executive director of the Condominium Home Owners Association of BC. It can also be devastating to electrical systems, which can in turn cut power to pumps if the water is able to make its way in. Gioventu strongly recommends that condo owners and managers check their insurance policies—and get the details in writing—and regularly inspect and maintain their sump pump and water detection systems. He also feels that every new piece of housing legislation should include measures that address climate change and rising water levels. "We need to consciously step back and apply that lens as we intro- duce new legislation," he says, "because it is going to be a prevalent issue." It's hard to tell exactly what is going to happen or when, says Clague. Some models show the effects of climate change accelerating, so the one-metre rise might well arrive before 2100. Improv- ing dikes and other mitigation measures is essential, he says, but unless significant steps are taken to reduce climate change, it will only be a matter of time before even those fixes aren't enough. He believes governments need to take even stronger action, and fast, before the tide rolls in. "It will get worse and worse, and the public will be screaming to do something," says Clague. "These solutions take time and money, and the resources have to be invested incrementally. You're not going to find $10 billion overnight. New capital infrastructure on a large scale—new water and sewer lines—takes years, and this is an even bigger problem. If we don't do anything we're going to be in trouble." " There's a really interesting shift that will likely happen in the coming decades as people start to realize there are more and more risks to specific properties that have tradition- ally been very attractive and highly valued." —Mark Sakai, advocacy projects manager, BC Real Estate Association

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