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By Rodrigo Santos Andrade
How to tackle persistent drought: Lessons from British Columbia
visibility comment0 event September 20, 2026 timer 10:04
Playing out year over year, the chaotic cycle of drought crises has become a familiar experience for British Columbians.
British Columbia has endured another extreme drought with damaging impacts seen across the province: a watershed emergency declared by the Syilx Okanagan Nation, 70 per cent water use reductions for agricultural producers in Vernon, regulatory orders to protect salmon and explosive wildfires driven by severe drought conditions.
Playing out year over year, the chaotic cycle of drought crises has become a familiar experience for British Columbians. We argue it’s the result of provincial water management that continues to treat drought as a short-term seasonal emergency rather than the year-round, persistent problem it has become.
A recent report by our team and collaborators at the University of Victoria’s POLIS Water Sustainability Project examined B.C.’s drought past, present and future. We provide insights about how drought is changing, gaps in provincial government drought response and the reforms needed to build a more drought-resilient future.
B.C. continues to set new records for drought severity, extent and duration. In 2023, severe drought hit approximately 85 per cent of the province. And, increasingly, droughts arrive in spring and persist into winter, creating continuous, multi-year droughts.
Recent droughts have resulted in massive fish die-offs, farmers experiencing 50 per cent less production and loss of livestock, communities (like Dawson Creek, McBride and the Sunshine Coast) in months-long states of emergency, and increasing conflicts over scarce water.
While the 2023 drought was unprecedented, climate change projections indicate this type of extreme event will likely occur once every three years (or more often) in the coming decades.
Drought is not just a water problem
Climate change and fundamental shifts to hydrology are key drivers of drought. But drought and water scarcity (when there is not enough water to meet ecological and human needs) are also shaped by human decisions about land and water, like whether water is over-allocated, wetlands are drained or forests are clear-cut. Community planning and choices about land and water management influence how much of a buffer we have and our ability to adapt to drought and scarcity.
Read more:
Clear-cut logging is making floods worse. But it’s not just about how many trees are cut
The provincial water management system is based on a fundamental assumption of water abundance and does not serve today’s water scarcity and drought realities. Although the B.C. government has improved some aspects of drought management, its overall approach is reactive and rooted in an assumption of water abundance.
B.C. lacks essential water and drought management foundations, including systematic water-use measuring and monitoring, and progress has stalled on implementing proactive tools under the Water Sustainability Act.
Solutions exist and communities are already leading the way by monitoring flows, implementing innovative local drought strategies, restoring wetlands and voluntarily reducing water use. Yet, communities face limited resources and lack a robust provincial framework for long-term drought adaptation.
Three steps governments can take
Relying on short-term water use restriction orders fails to address the root causes of low flows and increasingly drives community conflicts.
By reviewing international best practices and specific responses in drought-stricken countries, we developed a comprehensive reform agenda for the B.C. government to shift from crisis response to proactive action. Just as there is no single cause of drought, neither is there one solution. Here are critical steps the provincial government can take:
Setting the policy and knowledge foundation for the change ahead.
We emphasize the need to fully implement B.C.’s Water Sustainability Act, which includes several useful tools, including developing regional water sustainability plans to prepare governments and communities as they adapt to drought.
Shifting water mindsets and promoting water conservation and efficiency.
Business-as-usual is no longer possible. The provincial government needs to support key sectors, including agriculture, small drinking water systems, tourism and industry, to develop forward-looking strategies to adapt to new water realities.
In tandem, B.C. must rapidly scale up water conservation strategies. This should start with increasing industrial water rates to incentivize water conservation and create resources for watershed resilience, and expanding water metering.
Accelerating watershed planning and local drought governance.
Communities must plan and make decisions that reflect their unique hydrological, cultural, and economic realities. Starting in high-risk watersheds, the provincial government can accelerate and resource watershed plans and regional watershed boards to create enduring adaptive watershed-level solutions.
The choice is not whether B.C. will face more droughts. It is whether we will continue chasing crisis after crisis or start building resilience before drought arrives.
Deana Machin is affiliated with the First Nations Water Caucus of British Columbia. Oliver Brandes through the University of Victoria’s POLIS Project receives funding from the BC Real Estate Foundation, The Sitka Foundation and the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation. Rosie Simms does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Tags: Academic Journalism, The Conversation, The Conversation Academic News
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