Alberta’s disaster risk assessment plan in poor shape: auditor

EDMONTON – Alberta’s auditor general said the province does a poor job of anticipating and preparing for disasters.

In a report released Monday, Doug Wylie said Alberta doesn’t have a consistent plan for evaluating the risk the province faces from disasters such as floods or wildfires.

He said the government began preparing one in 2014, but the effort floundered after different ministries couldn’t agree on the severity of the risks posed by different hazards.

Wylie also found that many local municipalities have large gaps in their hazard assessments and many don’t have a risk assessment at all.

He pointed out that factors such as climate change are increasing disaster risks in Alberta.