Re: “Plan ahead for sea-level rise,” editorial, Aug. 28.
Congratulations for bringing the public’s attention to the issues of sea-level rise. The study you mention by Hallegatte was published in December 2010 and it is based on a sea-level rise of 0.4 metres. But try searching for the topic “sea-level rise,” and more recent studies say the sea-level rise could be two metres by 2100. Other studies say it could be six metres.
Two to six metres is significant to Victoria. It is especially significant when we look at the Capital Regional District’s billion-dollar sewage treatment plan at McLoughlin Point. Yes, the CRD plan includes a potential for one-metre sea-level rise, but this is not enough. McLoughlin Point is not very high, nor is it very large.
The billion-plus dollars is at risk of complete failure because it is centralized on this one vulnerable location. Let’s look at a fully distributed system, one that can cost far less and provide tertiary treatment, not just secondary treatment.
Bryan Gilbert
Victoria
