Government officials, academics, and environmental organizations met in Truro, Nova Scotia on March 5 at the 2015 Atlantic Flood Management Conference, which focused on increasing understanding and improving management of inland and coastal flooding in the Maritimes.

“Atlantic Canadians will need to adapt to a new normal,” said Bob Sandford, theCanadian chair of the United Nations Water for Life Initiative. “We thought we had a relatively stable climate and had adequate methods to address the impacts of flooding in population dense areas. We now know that our hydrology is changing and new approaches are needed.”

Conference attendees shared experience and expertise in flood preparedness, emergency response, flood mapping and risk assessment, resilient infrastructure, planning and policy, and flood liability. The host town of Truro also showcased its comprehensive flood risk study, and detailed efforts by the Municipality of Colchester County to address flooding in the community.

“Working together, sharing information, and ideas are key to increasing our ability to adapt to flooding and climate change,” said Keith Hunter, president of the Union of Nova Scotia Municipalities and warden of the Municipality of the County of Cumberland. “The outcomes from today will help us to reduce the risk of flooding throughout Atlantic Canada in the future.”

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