Quebec must not give in to political pressure on flooding maps

The Canadian Climate Institute urges the Quebec government to implement new flood maps and construction regulations despite opposition from municipalities and developers. The author argues that the cost of inaction—estimated between $70 million and $210 million in annual losses—far outweighs the potential decrease in property values, noting that homes in very high-risk zones are likely to suffer several hundred thousand dollars in damages over the next 25 years.

• Between 1985 and 2015, Quebec experienced a 66% increase in the number of buildings situated in very high-risk and high-risk flood zones, according to a study in Nature.
• The Climate Institute estimates that maintaining the status quo regarding flood risk management could result in annual losses ranging from $70 million to $210 million.
• While some fear that flood zone designations lower property values by approximately 4%, the actual impact of a flood event is more severe, reducing home values by 8% to 25%. Furthermore, homes in very high-risk zones are projected to incur several hundred thousand dollars in damages over the next 25 years.

APA

Canadian Climate Institute (2025). Quebec must not give in to political pressure on flooding maps. https://climateinstitute.ca/quebec-must-not-give-in-to-political-pressure-on-flooding-maps/

Chicago

Canadian Climate Institute. Quebec must not give in to political pressure on flooding maps. 2025. https://climateinstitute.ca/quebec-must-not-give-in-to-political-pressure-on-flooding-maps/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Canadian Climate Institute |title=Quebec must not give in to political pressure on flooding maps |date=28 January 2025 |url=https://climateinstitute.ca/quebec-must-not-give-in-to-political-pressure-on-flooding-maps/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{canadianclimateinstitute2025quebec, author = {{Canadian Climate Institute}}, title = {{Quebec must not give in to political pressure on flooding maps}}, publisher = {Canadian Climate Institute}, year = {2025}, month = jan, url = {https://climateinstitute.ca/quebec-must-not-give-in-to-political-pressure-on-flooding-maps/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }