Research Knowledge Initiative Flood Line Mapping Final Workshop Report

Abstract

Robust flood line mapping is necessary to inform decisions regarding public infrastructure investments and to support climate resilience. This project built on Nova Scotia’s current flood line mapping guidelines by including locally specific data and using climate projections to support climate resilience across sectors affected by flooding. A primary goal of the project was to identify historical and potential future flooding mechanisms relevant to the diverse watersheds and river systems across Nova Scotia. This was a multi-year collaborative project with a diverse project team including members from Dalhousie and Saint Francis Xavier (St. FX) Universities, engineering consulting firms including CBCL Limited, Dillon Consulting Limited, and the Government of Nova Scotia. Representatives from academia, various levels of government, and the private sector gathered for the flood line mapping project workshop on May 21, 2025. The project leads for academia and the private sector provided presentations summarizing key findings. Breakout sessions were then organized to discuss how the research findings could be used to validate and revise provincial flood mapping guidelines. The primary objectives of the workshop were to disseminate research findings from the project to a variety of stakeholders, and to facilitate focused discussions on potential revisions to provincial flood mapping technical guidelines. This report presents the key findings of the workshop, and areas requiring future work and further investigation.