With roughly 20 per cent of land in Surrey, B.C., sitting on a coastal floodplain threatened by climate change, the city is preparing for rising water levels that could severely damage residential neighbourhoods, businesses, natural habitats and infrastructure. "They didn't anticipate the demands that are going to be exercised with the climate change that we see now." "I'm very concerned about climate change and that's why we wanted to take part in the focus groups and try to figure out how we can mitigate the potential changes," he said. Conservation programs specialist Matt Christensen says the city needs to be proactive to protect natural habitats for wildlife. "Look for options that are sustainable into the future and look at the costs and the benefits for all of the components."

Source: CBC News February 22, 2018 15:03 UTC