Navigating Extremes

INNOVATION
Navigating Extremes
Leveraging GIS tools to address flood and drought challenges
BY MELISSA DICK
By leveraging GIS tools,
government agencies
can provide invaluable
spatial information that
addresses pressing water
management and supply
challenges across Canada.
Melissa Dick
Melissa is a management
consultant who works
with public and private
clients to optimize their
operations by leveraging
GIS tools and solutions.
16
HAT DO A BRITISH
COLUMBIAN facing water
use restrictions during drought
conditions and a Nova Scotian
navigating potential flooding
during an upcoming storm surge have in
common? Beyond their geographical differences, and the fact that one is facing a significant water shortage while the other may
have to deal with a substantial water surplus, they share a powerful resource: access
to open data platforms and digital maps
managed by their respective provincial and
local governments.
Open data portals and web applications
leverage geographic information system
(GIS) tools to empower members of the
public to better understand the risks that
may impact their families and communities
under various water supply scenarios and
environmental conditions. Not only do
these technologies offer key information
to citizens in times of extreme weather and
events, but they also provide important
insights for decision makers and managers.
Information compiled and shared via
these applications generates unique insights
to support both real-time management
decisions, such as moving an area impacted
by drought from a level 1 to level 2 water conservation status,
and future mitigation and adaptation measures, such as updating
coastal infrastructure in the face of long-term sea level rise.
In areas impacted by increasingly frequent drought conditions,
such as British Columbia, web applications that bring together a
collection of embedded maps have the power to provide up-todate information on current drought levels and historical data.
Such online tools are more than just sets of maps; they serve as
information hubs for residents grappling with water scarcity.
In regions prone to severe weather events like Nova Scotia, similar web applications that integrate coastal elevation surveys with
rainfall data can help communities assess flood and damage risk
W
WATER C AN ADA • M ARCH/APRIL 2024
WAT E R C A N A D A . N E T

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