Data and Indicators
As part of the Climate Action Strategy, the Capital Regional District (CRD) works to collect and share pertinent energy, emissions, climate projections and vulnerability data with local governments, interested groups and First Nations.
The Capital Regional District (CRD) engaged the Pacific Climate Impacts Consortium to undertake an update to the Climate Projections for the Capital Region report, an analysis of projected changes in temperature, precipitation, and indices of extremes due to climate change in the 2050s and the 2080s. The report is intended to support decision making throughout the region and to help community partners better understand how their work may be affected by our changing climate.
- To inquire about access to the accompanying data package (tables, maps, and GIS files), please contact us.
Please cite this report as: Capital Regional District, 2024, "Climate Projections for the Capital Region," 71 pgs.
Due to climate change, the capital region is experiencing hotter summer temperatures, with more extreme heat days and heatwaves. To address this hazard, the CRD, with support from municipal partners, accessed a Union of British Columbia Municipalities Community Emergency Preparedness Fund grant to undertake a regional extreme heat vulnerability mapping initiative. This project was completed, in collaboration with local governments, Island Health and the Province, to support the integration of extreme heat disaster risk reduction and climate adaptation planning and provide tools and data to help community planners and emergency managers to address extreme heat now and in the future.
Through this project, the interactive Capital Region Extreme Heat Information Portal was developed, which is accessible to residents and community planners to explore and understand the capital region's vulnerability and exposure to extreme heat.
If you would like to view the full report or want to inquire about access to the full data package, please contact us.
Understanding the impacts and risks associated with sea level rise, coastal flooding and tsunamis is important for our region. The CRD, working with and on behalf of, the 13 municipal governments and three electoral areas, has worked to improve our understanding of these risks through several research initiatives. This work will help planners and emergency managers prepare the region and inform coastal flood hazard policy.
The CRD has produced greenhouse gas (GHG) inventories for 2018, 2020 and 2022 to better understand the sources and trends of GHG emissions within the capital region for the following categories:
- Stationary energy (e.g., buildings, construction, energy industry)
- Transportation (including airport and marine emissions)
- Waste
- Industrial process and product use
- Agriculture, forestry and other land use
Data is included from 2007, 2010, 2012, 2018, 2020 and 2022. The 2022 study shows that the capital region emits approximately 1.86 million tonnes of C02 emissions annually. This equates to approximately a 7% reduction from the 2007 baseline. Transportation and buildings continue to account for the vast majority of regional emissions (approximately 75%).
The inventory is intended to be a resource for the CRD and municipalities to inform planning and programming aimed at reducing GHG emissions in the capital region.
The Capital Region Local Government EV and E-Bike Infrastructure Planning Guide [PDF/3.6MB] (Watt Consulting Group, 2018) contains strategies for local governments, as well as private development, to expand and manage EV and E-Bike charging infrastructure in the Capital Region. Its associated Backgrounder Report [PDF/4.1MB] provides a summary of the EV and E-Bike research and best practices that inform the Guide.
The Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Roadmap [PDF/2.8MB] (Dunsky, 2021) provides a high-level indication of the scale of EV charging infrastructure required to accelerate the transition to EVs in the capital region, an overview of the types of charging opportunities needed to support current and future EV drivers, and a summary of collaboration opportunities between key players and actions to support a coordinated approach to charging infrastructure deployment in the region.
Coastal Flood Inundation
On behalf of local governments and other regional partners, the Capital Regional District (CRD) worked closely with an inter-municipal and multi-disciplinary project team to complete the Regional Coastal Flood Inundation Mapping Project in order to better understand regional impacts from coastal storm flooding due to sea level rise and tsunamis. The project was completed with support from the federal and provincial National Disaster Mitigation Program.
The Capital Region Coastal Flood Inundation Mapping Project (PDF) [PDF/2.8MB] provides a comprehensive picture of coastal flooding due to rising sea levels and tsunamis. The project provides enhanced coastal flood hazard information to:
- Help planners and emergency managers prepare the region for coastal storm and tsunami events that may impact southern Vancouver Island and the Southern Gulf Islands.
- Offer guidance to regional stakeholders to inform coastal flood policy, planning and communication efforts.
- Better understand the infrastructure, ecosystems and cultural sites that may be at risk due to future sea level rise.
- Identify risks to residents and infrastructure (e.g., harbours, marinas, docks) within the capital region as a result of tsunami waves and currents.
Note: Updated versions of the summary, Task 2 and Task 3 of the Capital Regional Coastal Flood Inundation Mapping Project published in November 2021 replace the previous 1.0 reports, published in June 2020.
The CRD previously completed regional studies related to both sea level rise and tsunamis, including:
- The Coastal Sea Level Rise Risk Assessment Report (2015) [PDF/2.5MB] (PDF) used a simplified “combined” methodology. Analyses included mapping 24 focus areas across the capital region vulnerable to sea level rise and an economic risk assessment and analysis of economic impacts associated with service disruptions.
- For associated maps, see Map Book 1 (PDF) [PDF/29.6MB] and Map Book 2 (PDF) [PDF/31.2MB]. Important: These maps have been prepared for information purposes. For more context about the maps and analysis, including a description of the data and methods used, please see the full report.
- The Sea Level Rise Planning Approaches Project Report (2015) (PDF) [PDF/697KB] is a tool kit of prioritized planning, regulatory and site-specified adaptation tools specific to the Capital Regional District and its local governments.
- The Capital Regional District Modelling of Potential Tsunami Inundation Limits and Run-Up (2013) study modelled tsunami impacts along the entire regional coastline from a Cascadian subduction zone 1-in-500 year earthquake.
Under BC’s Local Government Act and the Emergency Program Act, local governments are responsible for understanding and managing flood risk through land use planning and regulations and through emergency planning and preparedness activities. First Nations determine their own policy and regulations in their communities according to their own Emergency Management and flood-control plans.
Local governments, First Nations and other regional emergency management coordination bodies will be provided this data for their review and consideration. The CRD will continue to support existing inter-municipal and inter-agency committees and support opportunities for further collaboration.
If you live, work or play in a coastal area of the capital region, you and your family need to be aware of your risks, know what to do in the event of a coastal storm or tsunami, and be prepared to respond. Learn more at prepareyourself.ca.
