Saanich conducts climate risk assessments on a regular basis to guide climate resilience actions. The most recent assessments outlined below have been used to inform the development of the 2026 Saanich Climate Plan’s resilience actions and are intended to be used to inform the development of Saanich's Asset Management Plans and Risk Registers.
2026 Community Climate Hazard & Resilience Assessment
The 2026 Community Climate Hazard & Resilience Assessment identifies local climate hazards, impacts, resilience actions, and community strengths. It outlines 40 District-led actions to strengthen resilience, along with additional collaborative actions.
The Assessment found that climate hazards are already affecting our community in both the short and long term, and are likely to become more frequent and intense over time. It also recognizes that impacts are not distributed equally, with those facing the greatest economic and social challenges being the most affected.
2026 Corporate (PIEVC) Climate Risk Assessment
Using the Public Infrastructure Engineering Vulnerability Committee (PIEVC) Protocol, the District conducted a climate change risk assessment of District assets. The 2026 Corporate (PIEVC) Climate Risk Assessment covers:
- Nine asset types in Saanich: drainage, facilities, IT, park & trail structures, natural assets, transportation, vehicles & equipment, wastewater, and water
- Six climate hazards: extreme heat, extreme rain, extreme snow, drought, wildfire and smoke, and sea level rise, based on available climate projections
- Three time horizons: current, medium term (2050s) and longer term (2080s), following those used in the 2024 Climate Projections for the Capital Regional District (CRD) report
- Likelihood, impact, and risk scoring: including financial, people’s safety, business operations, legal and regulatory, reputational, and environmental impact considerations, based on Saanich’s Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) Framework.
The Assessment found that the highest risks were associated with:
- the impacts of heat, drought, and sea-level rise on our natural assets, parks and trails structures; and
- the impact of wildfire in the drinking water supply area on our drinking water quality, and the impact of wildfire in parks on our natural assets.