The sustainability of core service delivery is a concern for local governments across Canada. The 2016 Union of BC Municipalities report titled The Status of Asset Management in British Columbia1 illustrates how local governments in BC are engaged in improving their asset management practices to effectively manage this concern, but challenges remain. Reinvestment in infrastructure is below the low end target recommended by asset management practitioners2 , and local governments struggle to implement levels of preventative maintenance required to manage risk and extend the life of assets. Climate change is introducing new stresses on assets, decreasing lifespan and making it more difficult to deliver levels of service. Rather than continuing to attempt to do more with less, local governments have an opportunity to do things differently - and achieve better results - by including natural assets in asset management processes.
This primer is for staff of local governments in BC and is intended to help them capitalize on the real and immediate benefits of managing their natural assets. It introduces an approach for including natural assets throughout the asset management process. It provides an overview of the following topics:
- Foundational key concepts
- Why include natural assets in asset management
- Initial ideas on how to include natural assets throughout the Asset Management process