Degree
Master of Arts
Program
Geography
Supervisor
Dr. Gordon McBean
Abstract
Attention to effective local flood response has become a necessity in urban governance as issues pertaining to floods become increasingly visible with disasters rising. This research identifies components of response capacity to floods and municipal action, and potential mechanisms to increase response capacity in the City of Vancouver and District of Maple Ridge using interviews (n=7), Q methodology (n=12), and a literature review. Findings show that legislation, institutional behaviour and collective action, technological pathways and resource management are fundamental to an institution or organization’s response capacity. Municipal action is influenced by competing priorities as determined through legal responsibility and liability, collective agreements, public behaviour, risk, vulnerability and uncertainty, and the politics of municipal governance. It is viewed by participants that resource efficiency, collaborative, co-management and adaptive co-management techniques could lead to greater response capacity. The findings presented provide a proposed conceptual framework to response capacity to floods and municipal action.
Recommended Citation
Raikes, Jonathan P., "Conceptualizing Response Capacity and Flood Action in the City of Vancouver and District of Maple Ridge, British Columbia, Canada" (2015). Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository. 3160.
https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/etd/3160
Included in
Emergency and Disaster Management Commons, Other Geography Commons, Urban Studies Commons