Question Period Note: DISASTER MITIGATION AND ADAPTATION FUND

Update on Disaster Mitigation and Adaptation Fund.

• The Government of Canada recognizes that communities need support to adapt to the frequent and intensifying weather events that are associated with climate change. Floods, wildfires, and winter storms are getting worse and more frequent.

• That is why we launched the Disaster Mitigation and Adaptation Fund (DMAF). Communities apply directly to the federal government for funding to help them better prepare for and withstand the potential impacts of natural disasters.

• To date, we have announced over $1.7 billion in funding for 59 disaster mitigation projects across the country through this Fund. Ten of those projects are found in Quebec alone, and two projects are in Indigenous Communities.

• In order to ensure that the remaining DMAF envelope can get to communities quickly, an accelerated review of eligible projects was undertaken this summer, which will further help communities protect their infrastructure against extreme weather events.

• Infrastructure Canada continues to work towards launching a new project intake under the Fund which will continue to help communities protect their infrastructure against extreme weather events. The timing of the next intake has not yet been determined.

• The DMAF was launched on May 17, 2018 and, through the first intake process, a total of 44 projects were approved.

• Due to the urgent and emergent situation caused by the Spring 2019 floods and wildfires in various communities across the country, DMAF projects were assessed outside of the competitive process, as per the program’s Terms and Conditions. A total of 15 projects were approved outside of the competitive process, for a grand total of 59 approved projects under DMAF, with a federal contribution of over $1.7B. DMAF’s remaining funding is $234.6M of the original $2B envelope.

• In order to leverage the remaining DMAF envelope, Infrastructure Canada undertook an accelerated targeted intake of eligible projects previously submitted to the department. The merit-based assessment is complete and the Minister of Infrastructure and Communities will be making funding announcements over the coming months.

• DMAF is a merit-based, competitive program open to provincial and territorial governments, municipal governments, indigenous communities, and not-for-profit and private sector organizations. DMAF is a national funding envelope with no provincial or territorial allocations.

• DMAF supports large-scale disaster mitigation projects that will reduce the potential impacts of severe weather and other natural hazards. A minimum of $20 million threshold of eligible costs is required for projects to be eligible under the program.

• DMAF offers a complementary approach to the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program (ICIP) Green Infrastructure Stream – Adaptation, Resilience, and Disaster Mitigation Investments. Both are designed to enable provinces, territories, and local communities to increase structural and natural capacity to adapt to climate change impacts, disasters triggered by natural hazards and extreme weather events.

• DMAF and ICIP are part of the Investing in Canada Plan through which the Government of Canada will invest more than $180 billion over 12 years in public transit projects, green infrastructure, social infrastructure, trade and transportation routes, and Canada’s rural and northern communities.

• During the Expression of Interest phase for the first program intake, the pressure on the program was threefold the available funding.
  The Liberal 2019 election platform committed an additional $1 billion for DMAF.

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