Floods are the most frequent and costly disaster in Canada, causing over $2 billion in damages annually. Canadians require more information to protect themselves and avoid devastating loss. High-quality flood mapping that is current and accessible helps governments, communities, and individuals understand flood hazards and implement effective mitigation strategies to reduce the impacts of flooding.
That is why the Flood Hazard Identification and Mapping Program (FHIMP) is investing in updating Canada’s existing flood mapping capabilities. In partnership with provincial and territorial governments, the FHIMP aims to complete flood hazard maps of higher-risk areas in Canada and make this flood hazard information accessible.
These maps will help emergency planning by guiding the placement of evacuation routes and support land use planning by identifying locations for building critical infrastructure and flood mitigation structures like dikes. Flood maps provide reliable information on flood hazards and support decision-makers and Canadians in their efforts to adapt to a changing climate while protecting properties and lives.
Program results
$60M
Cost-shared
investment outlined
1000+
Flood hazard maps
produced
280+
Flood mapping
related projects
About the program
Under the National Adaptation Strategy, the Government of Canada is investing $164.2 million from 2024 to 2028 in FHIMP to help Canadians better plan and prepare for future floods. The original FHIMP investment totalled $63.8 million from 2021 to 2024.
The FHIMP is one of many measures the Government of Canada is pursuing to increase the resiliency of Canadians in the face of the rising frequency and costs of flood events and other climate-related disasters. These efforts avoid duplication of other federal flood mapping activities, such as First Nation Adapt. The FHIMP is complementary to initiatives, including:
- Developing Canada’s first National Adaptation Strategy
- Implementing the Emergency Management Strategy for Canada
- Developing a National Risk Profile
- Setting up a Task Force on Flood Insurance and Relocation
- Providing funding for adaptation projects through programs such as the Disaster Mitigation and Adaptation Fund
Program eligibility
Provincial and territorial governments are the eligible recipients for funding under the FHIMP. However, they may collaborate with, and redistribute funding to eligible entities, such as:
- municipal or other local governments
- public sector bodies
- private sector bodies
- Indigenous communities
- international non-government organizations, or
- any combination of these entities
Historic flood programs
Text version
A timeline demonstrating the years different Flood-related programs have been active with brief descriptions.
- From 1976 until 1996, the Flood Damage Reduction Program (FDRP) was in place. It was a national program that created flood maps in over 900 communities and was used to encourage the use of land-use controls within these mapped areas.
- From 2016 onward, the First Nations Adapt Program (FNA) funds adaptation activities for First Nation communities south of 60 who are greatly impacted by climate change. The program provides support for community-led, needs-based, adaptation projects like risk assessments, cost benefit analysis of adaptation options, and flood mapping.
- From 2016 onward, the Climate Change Preparedness in the North (CCPN) program provides support to northern communities and organizations to help them adapt to climate change impacts through projects like vulnerability and risk assessments, hazard mapping, and adaptation plans.
- From 2015 until 2022, the National Disaster Mitigation Program (NDMP) was established to reduce the impacts of natural disasters on Canadians by focusing investments on significant, recurring flood risks and costs. The four streams of funding included development/modernization of flood maps.
- From 2021 until 2028, the Flood Hazard Identification and Mapping Program (FHIMP) will be active. The program includes collaborating with provinces and territories to create or update flood hazard maps for areas at higher risk of flooding.
Find out more about flood mapping
- Learn about flood mapping
- Explore the data related to flood mapping
- Discover the Flood Hazard Identification and Mapping Program projects
- Read about flood mapping roles and resources in Canada
- Understand the flood mapping types and process
- See the floods and river ice monitoring in Canada
- Access the Federal Flood Mapping Guidelines
Contact us
For more information, please email geoinfo@nrcan-rncan.gc.ca