Canada spends more on responding to climate emergencies in First Nations than preventing them, auditor general says – National Observer
November 16th 2022
Climate emergencies are increasing for remote Indigenous communities, yet the federal government is still more reactive than preventive when responding to them, according to a report by the federal auditor general.
Indigenous Services Canada (ISC) has spent three and a half times more money on responding to emergencies and helping Indigenous nations recover from them than it has on preventing and mitigating floods, fires and other extreme weather events, Karen Hogan’s report found.
The report, released Nov. 15, also found gaps in emergency prevention and mitigation funding because some First Nations did not have the capacity to apply for supports and gaps in the agreements dictating who is responsible for delivering emergency services in some provinces. It also found the ISC did not know how many more emergency management co-ordinators were needed to ensure First Nations had the capacity to manage emergencies.
