Solutions for adapting to flooding

Québec has adopted a Plan de protection du territoire face aux inondations (french only). It presents several solutions to ensure the safety of people and property. This plan also enables us to improve our knowledge of at-risk areas and to better monitor watercourses. 

The best practices are those that allow natural cohabitation with watercourses. For example, the protection of wetlands, which act as sponges to absorb excess water, or the development of overflow areas, i.e., places where water can overflow its banks without causing damage. 

As a last resort, dikes or protective structures can be built. These infrastructures are costly and do not always provide the best protection for the population. That’s why specialists study each site to determine the best possible solution.

Otherwise, it’s best to limit occupancy and activities in areas at high risk of flooding.

Several projects are helping to make Québec more resilient to flooding. Here are just a few examples.

The PRAFI (in French only) supports the municipal sector in the implementation of resilient developments and the relocation of buildings, with the aim of increasing personal safety and protecting property from flood risks in built-up areas. Among other things, the program makes it possible to set up project offices in different regions to support actions in areas at risk of flooding.

Coaticook’s downtown area has suffered from major flooding over the years. Following flooding episodes in 2014 and 2015, a retention basin was built on Ruisseau Pratt. This basin can store water behind a dike when the creek flow rate becomes too great. The culvert, this spout that allows the basin to empty steadily when the water level becomes too high in the event of a flash flood, was designed to limit the flow rate of the creek to a maximum of 1 m³ of water. The basin is gradually emptied when the creek’s flow rate returns to normal, thus preventing flooding in populated areas. 

Watch the video on Coaticook in action against flooding to learn more.
 

The Atlas hydroclimatique is a tool for visualizing the current and future hydrology of some 40,000 bodies of water in Québec. The INFO-Crue project aims to create predictive maps showing areas likely to be flooded in the next 48 hours. 

A map-based decision tool for land-use planning in Québec is also being produced. The forecast maps, posted on the Gouvernement du Québec’s Vigilance web page, enable citizens and municipalities to better prepare for flooding.