The Okanagan Basin Water Board wants the new NDP cabinet to bone up quickly on the challenges weather changes are imposing on Okanagan communities.

The board has sent a letter to Premier John Horgan outlining the need for his government to increase financial commitments and resources for both climate change mitigation and adaptation measures across the valley

OBWB director Doug Findlater, mayor of West 琉璃神社, said the flooding that occurred this past spring across the Okanagan Lake watershed was caused by circumstances that could easily reoccur next year.

鈥淭here are lessons to be learned from what happened this year, and we can鈥檛 just say, 鈥極h shucks, the water levels have gone down so let鈥檚 move on and forget about it now,鈥欌�� Findlater said.

In the letter, the water board is requesting Horgan retain a ministry, or ministry of state, for emergency preparedness in response to increasing risk of a major earthquake, flood and wildfire.

鈥淎s our climate changes, B.C. is experiencing a new weather reality, and the impact this is having on individuals across the province reinforces the need to improve resiliency, to better understand the risks we face, and to increase and reap the benefits of investments in adaptation measures to help communities respond,鈥� stated the letter.

Other measures recommended include increased support at the local level for better land use planning and floodplain mapping, improvements in flood resilience infrastructure, restoration of natural capital and increased investment in storm and waste water infrastructure.

Beyond emergency preparedness, the water board also wants other government ministries to prepare for climate change impacts such as new and expanded health risks, changing infrastructure and land use implications, and new opportunities and challenges for trade and the economy.

鈥淚ntegrating adaptation across ministries will ensure a consistent approach across government, increase efficiency and maximize communities鈥� resilience to risk,鈥� said the letter.

Findlater said he also advocates for an independent assessment of why the flooding happened and what can be done differently to address a similar weather scenario in the future.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a lot more complicated than just about a guy pulling the trigger to release water from the Okanagan Lake dam downstream,鈥� Findlater said.

鈥淎ll indications were at the beginning of April that snowpack levels were 70 per cent of normal and we were headed for a serious drought this summer. Then later in the month we were hit by a lot of rain and more snow in late April and into early May.鈥�

鈥淚 just feel there is no reason why that same weather pattern couldn鈥檛 happen again next year.鈥�

He says climate change is changing the accepted weather standards and all levels of government have to respond to those realities.

鈥淲here we go from here can鈥檛 be lost in the shuffle amidst the transition to a new government and new cabinet ministers coming in.鈥�

Findlater noted that responding to the flooding issues has impacted the infrastructure and public works project agenda for his city this summer.

鈥淭here are things we planned to address that we just won鈥檛 get to now because of the resources required for us to deal with flooding issues,鈥� he said.