OTTAWA: Canadian Ministry of Emergency Preparedness, Bill Blair announced advance payments to aid flood, landslide and storm recovery endeavors in the province of British Columbia.

In addition to the 207 million Canadian dollars (USD 166 million) in support for wildfire recovery operations that was announced in June, he stated in a news release on Monday that the advance payments totaling more than 870 million Canadian dollars (USD 700 million).

Following disastrous floods and wildfires in the province that cost an estimated 9 billion Canadian dollars (USD 7.2 billion) or more in damages in 2021, British Columbians are experiencing the effects of extreme weather brought on by climate change, as per reports.

In closing the final meeting of the Committee of British Columbia and Federal Ministers on Disaster Response and Climate Resilience, which was established in November 2021, Blair said that "climate change is threatening communities across Canada, and we need to keep our partnerships strong as we prepare for and work to prevent natural disasters and extreme weather events."

Along with the payouts, a trilateral emergency management agreement is being built by the governments of Canada, British Columbia, and the First Nations Leadership Council. According to the press release, this agreement will increase First Nations' ability to respond to and recover from upcoming climate-related calamities.

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