Delta – Potential Economic & Agricultural Production Impacts of Climate Change Related Flooding in the Fraser Delta [dl01]
| Region | Delta |
| Status | completed in 2014 |
| Project Lead | Delta Farmers' Institute |
| Funding Partners | Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, BC Ministry of Agriculture, City of Surrey, Corporation of Delta |
Projections for sea level rise (1.2m in the Fraser delta by 2100) and the potential for associated flooding of agricultural lands are a priority climate change impact identified in the Delta Adaptation Strategies. However, there is limited information available about the potential magnitude and severity of impacts of coastal flooding for agriculture. This study is a step toward addressing this gap. The study also encompasses analysis of other types of climate-change related flood risk that have the potential to impact agriculture in the Fraser delta area.
This study utilizes existing data to analyze and evaluate the potential impacts (immediate, short and long-term) of climate-change related flooding to portions of the Fraser delta’s agricultural land base and production capacity. The report combines information about the potentially vulnerable agricultural land base, with available information about current agricultural production on that land base (capital investment, production types etc.) to evaluate the potential economic impacts, as well as to analyze short and longer-term impacts to productive capacity.