Flooding In New Brunswick (Photo Credit: Tamara Steele)
A spokesperson with The Nature Conservancy of Canada is suggesting further protection of trees and wetlands to reduce flooding potential.
The Conservancy’s Andrew Holland says wetlands are excellent for flood mitigation.
“Because they act like a great big sponge like a huge roll of paper towel. They absorb and hold that water and that helps to protect our roads, our bridges, our private properties and our homes.” Holland said.
Holland suggests preserving trees, adding they not only take carbon dioxide and convert it into oxygen, but they can also hold back water.
“When you take these trees away, there is nothing to slow down the flow of water so when you have huge snow melt, the snow melts quickly and funnels down to our rivers, lakes and streams and funnels down to our river system and overwhelms it,” Holland said.
Holland says severe weather events are getting worse each year and we need to be thinking more about flood mitigation to deal with damages and costs associated with them.
