Municipalities and Indigenous communities can now apply for $19 million in funding to help protect homes, businesses and lives from floods and droughts.
Alberta’s government is stepping up to protect the province from droughts and floods. Drought conditions affected parts of the province this summer, while other communities have faced flooding in recent years. Building the local infrastructure needed to protect residents, property and critical infrastructure is costly, but necessary.
To help, more than $19 million is now available through the Drought and Flood Protection Program to help communities build the infrastructure they need. This is part of the five-year, $125-million program that’s helping municipalities and First Nations protect critical infrastructure from flooding and drought and improve public safety.
“We know that drought and floods can devastate public infrastructure and private property, damage the environment, disrupt our economy and put lives at risk. We’ve already funded 18 projects through the Drought and Flood Protection Program this year, but there is more work to do. That’s why we’re fast-tracking the next round of applications to protect communities across the province.”
Rebecca Schulz, Minister of Environment and Protected Areas
The Drought and Flood Protection Program is helping communities design and construct projects that protect critical infrastructure from drought and flooding and help ensure public safety is protected. This includes the expansion of water storage or the retrofitting or relocation of water intakes to help ensure access to water during periods of drought. Flood mitigation projects, such as berms, flood walls or riverbank stabilization work, are also eligible under the program.
Applications for shovel-ready projects are strongly encouraged, but all projects that meet the eligibility criteria will be considered for funding. All municipalities, Improvement Districts, Special Areas, Metis Settlements and First Nations are eligible and encouraged to apply.
The application deadline for Round 2 of funding is Nov. 29.