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Coastal properties: understand your risks and adaptation options

Living or building near the coast comes with risks from erosion, coastal flooding, storm surge, and changing shorelines. The Coastal Property Guide explains what property owners should consider before buying, building, renovating, or protecting coastal land.

Guide

What are coastal risks?

Coastal properties include both waterfront properties and properties located near the shore. A property does not need to be directly on the water to be affected by coastal hazards.

Coastal property guide cover

Coastal risks include:

Erosion

The wearing away of land along the shoreline by waves, tides, storms, wind, rainfall, and rising seas.

Coastal flooding

Coastal flooding happens when seawater temporarily moves onto land during storms, high tides, storm surge, or extreme weather.

Storm surge

Storm surge is a temporary rise in sea level caused by strong winds and low pressure during storms, pushing seawater onto land.

Sea-level rise

Sea-level rise means ocean levels are increasing over time, making coastal flooding and erosion more frequent and severe, and eventually permanent.

Inland flooding

Inland flooding happens when heavy rain, snowmelt, blocked drains, or poor drainage cause water to collect on land.

How can I adapt to these risks?

1

Avoid

The safest long-term option is to keep new development away from areas that may flood or erode.

2

Retreat or relocate

Move buildings, wells, septic systems, driveways, or other infrastructure farther from coastal hazards.

3

Accommodate

Modify buildings or properties to reduce damage, such as raising structures, improving drainage, or protecting utilities.

4

Use nature-based approaches

Use vegetation, dunes, wetlands, or restored buffers to help reduce flooding and erosion where appropriate.

5

Resist or protect

Hard shoreline structures such as seawalls, riprap, or armouring may provide short-term protection in some cases, but they can be costly, require maintenance, affect neighbouring properties, and do not protect against flooding.

Remember

Work in a watercourse, wetland or 15 m buffer zone requires permits and may be restricted depending on location and current regulations.