Collaboration key to building resilient communities to withstand disasters

Earthquake preparedness demands taking steps now to build resilient communities that can better withstand and recover from the impacts of natural disasters and other emergencies, Steven Blaney, Canada’s minister of public safety and emergency preparedness, emphasized during a speech in Vancouver yesterday.

Speaking at an earthquake symposium hosted by the Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC), Blaney called on all levels of government, industry, academics and the public to work together on earthquake preparedness strategies.

“Canada’s evolving approach to emergency management means our government is shifting from a reactive model to one that allows us to better identify risks related to natural disasters, and to take steps to eliminate or reduce these risks and their impacts before a disaster strikes,” the minister notes in a statement.

The Government of Canada is working in collaboration with the intersectorial B.C. Earthquake Planning Team to update the Earthquake Response Protocol – which outlines the kinds of support that will be available across federal departments, and when jurisdictions can expect that support to be available – which clearly defines federal roles and responsibilities, the statement notes.

This work can be used to inform earthquake response planning in at-risk regions across the country and helps inform planning at all levels of government, the statement adds.

“We know our country is prone to earthquakes and we need to continue to build awareness that there is a significant risk to Canadians,” Don Forgeron, IBC’s president and CEO, says of IBC’s decision to bring together public and private sector leaders to discuss Canada’s resilience to earthquake risk. “We need to be ready both physically and financially,” Forgeron emphasizes.

As part of the Economic Action Plan 2014, the federal government has earmarked $11.4 million over five years for Natural Resources Canada to upgrade the earthquake monitoring system, including more advanced technologies that provide timely public alerts in high-risk and urban areas. Ottawa has also committed to providing $200 million over five years, starting in 2015-2016, to better protect Canadians and their homes through a National Disaster Mitigation Program.

An earthquake impact study conducted by AIR Worldwide in 2013 revealed that the economic impact of a 9.0 magnitude earthquake in Western Canada is $75 billion in total economic losses and $20 billion in insured losses, notes a statement from IBC. A 7.1 magnitude quake in the Ottawa-Montreal-Quebec City corridor would result in $60 billion in total economic losses and $12 billion in insured losses.

Despite the costs, a recent survey by Pollara and commissioned by IBC found that Canadians living in vulnerable zones see an earthquake as a valid, but far-off possibility. In fact, an earthquake could strike at any time, and its consequences would be no less than devastating, the IBC statement adds.