Habitat Loss
Too many watersheds in BC have been degraded and are now facing challenges from ever-increasing threats. This has left many British Columbians vulnerable. Climate change is a driving factor behind many of the watershed-related threats the province is experiencing. However, these climate impacts are being compounded by poor land use planning and development.
There are many land-use practices that increase our vulnerability to droughts, fires, and floods. Some of these include:
- Logging to the edge of stream banks
- Replanting forests with one species rather than a diversity
- Developing homes close to forests, which leaves them vulnerable to wildfires
- Developing in floodplains
- Draining wetlands
At the same, historic land use decisions, such as allowing clear cut logging in watersheds, has made it harder for landscapes to absorb moisture. Increased amounts of precipitation run directly into streams and exacerbate flooding.
Resiliency to the threats British Columbians are now experiencing can only be achieved by modernizing our land use practices to rebuild natural infrastructure.
