--- title: The Inaction vs. Action Cost Debate Gets Real in British Columbia description: After devastating floods in B.C., officials must decide if the cost of boosting roadway resilience proactively outweighs the cost of business as usual. image: https://www.resilientroadways.com/hubfs/Mudslide%20damage%20in%20BC.jpeg --- [![Resilient Roadways](https://www.resilientroadways.com/hs-fs/hubfs/WH_Files/WH_Resilient%20Roadways/Logo/Resilient-Roadways-Logo-wide.png?width=200&name=Resilient-Roadways-Logo-wide.png "Resilient Roadways")](https://www.resilientroadways.com/) # Blog Filter by Category [show all](https://www.resilientroadways.com/blog) Filter by Category ** - [Show All ](http://thoughtmate-1.hs-sites.com/orange-blog) ### Posts by Topic - [Building Resilient Roads (14)](https://www.resilientroadways.com/blog/tag/building-resilient-roads) - [Education (1)](https://www.resilientroadways.com/blog/tag/education) - [Geogrid (1)](https://www.resilientroadways.com/blog/tag/geogrid) - [highways (3)](https://www.resilientroadways.com/blog/tag/highways) - [Infrastructure (3)](https://www.resilientroadways.com/blog/tag/infrastructure) - [Infrastructure Update (3)](https://www.resilientroadways.com/blog/tag/infrastructure-update) - [Pavement Maintenance (1)](https://www.resilientroadways.com/blog/tag/pavement-maintenance) - [Public Works (2)](https://www.resilientroadways.com/blog/tag/public-works) - [recycled plastic (1)](https://www.resilientroadways.com/blog/tag/recycled-plastic) - [resilience (2)](https://www.resilientroadways.com/blog/tag/resilience) - [resiliency (4)](https://www.resilientroadways.com/blog/tag/resiliency) - [Roads (3)](https://www.resilientroadways.com/blog/tag/roads) - [Roadways (1)](https://www.resilientroadways.com/blog/tag/roadways) - [rubberized asphalt (1)](https://www.resilientroadways.com/blog/tag/rubberized-asphalt) - [smart roads (1)](https://www.resilientroadways.com/blog/tag/smart-roads) - [Sustainability (2)](https://www.resilientroadways.com/blog/tag/sustainability) [see all](https://www.resilientroadways.com/blog/inaction-vs.-action-cost-debate-british-columbia#) # The Inaction vs. Action Cost Debate Gets Real in British Columbia ** [Resilient Roadways Editors](https://www.resilientroadways.com/blog/author/resilient-roadways-editors) ** Dec 06, 2021 ![A photo of a highway and railway destroyed by a mudslide in British Columbia.](https://www.resilientroadways.com/hubfs/Mudslide%20damage%20in%20BC.jpeg) *A mudslide destroyed a portion of the Tank Hill underpass on Highway 1 in southern British Columbia following record-breaking rainfall in November. Photo by the B.C. Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure on [Flickr](https://flic.kr/p/2mKwedw), [CC BY-NC-ND 2.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/)*. As southern British Columbia starts to rebuild following devastating floods, the provincial government faces a serious question: does the cost of adaptation inaction outweigh that of taking bold action to boost resiliency? *The Globe and Mail* reports the floods will be Canada’s [most expensive natural disaster](https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/article-bc-floods-will-be-canadas-most-expensive-natural-disaster-this-year/) (paywall) of 2021. That’s saying a lot after a summer of deadly wildfires that [destroyed](https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/wildfire-threatens-heat-best-village-british-columbia-78598916) the town of Lytton, B.C. and wiped out [70 percent](https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/bc-wildfire-service-costs-2021-1.6092516) of the B.C. Fire Service’s budget before the start of peak fire season. In the wake of the November floods, B.C. officials are looking into rebuilding destroyed or severely damaged roadways to be more resilient in addition to retrofitting existing highways, according to a recent *Reuters* report. Some of the proposed improvements would include widening culverts, elongating bridges and constructing roads in areas less prone to mudslides. [Record-breaking rainfall](https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/bc-rain-records-november-2021-1.6269863) caused major flooding and mudslides throughout November, destroying roads, submerging the Trans Canada highway and cutting off Vancouver from the rest of the country by road. At least four people have died as well as thousands of farm animals, and over 18,000 people had to be evacuated. Canada’s federal government has made past investments in boosting the country’s climate resilience, and British Columbia already has laws in place requiring engineers to design roads with climate risks in mind. However, many of the province’s roadways were built before this legislation existed, putting them at higher risk of damages from extreme weather events accelerated by global heating. [You can read the full *Reuters* article about the considerations British Columbia is making to boost roadway resilience here.](https://www.reuters.com/markets/commodities/flood-hit-british-columbia-eyes-cost-climate-proofing-infrastructure-2021-11-24/) ** [** National Forest Roads Get Resiliency Boost From Infrastructure Act ](https://www.resilientroadways.com/blog/national-forest-roads-infrastructure-act) [** 2022 Resilient Roads Prediction Roundup ](https://www.resilientroadways.com/blog/2022-resilient-roads-prediction-roundup) ### About Author ![Resilient Roadways Editors](https://app.hubspot.com/settings/avatar/d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e) Resilient Roadways Editors Established in 2020, Resilient Roadways exists as part of an initiative to raise awareness and provide a forum for action. ** - [**](http://www.facebook.com/share.php?u=https://www.resilientroadways.com/blog/inaction-vs.-action-cost-debate-british-columbia/) - [**](https://twitter.com/share?url=https://www.resilientroadways.com/blog/inaction-vs.-action-cost-debate-british-columbia/) - [**](http://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https://www.resilientroadways.com/blog/inaction-vs.-action-cost-debate-british-columbia/&summary=&source=CeBIT) - [**](https://plus.google.com/share?url=https://www.resilientroadways.com/blog/inaction-vs.-action-cost-debate-british-columbia/) ### Comment ## Subscribe To Blog ### Subscribe to Email Updates ### support ## Resilient Roads Roundtable ResilientRoadways.com will be the primary website used by the Resilient Roads Roundtable initiative to communicate with its key audiences and to influence change. ### Connect with us Sign-up to receive an update when we post new content to the Resilient Roadways blog. @ 2020 Resilient Roads Roundtable