Historically, many communities in New Brunswick settled in areas along the rivers, which has made them vulnerable to periodic inland and coastal flooding. The flooding has substantially increased the number of disaster financial assistance programs triggered in the province, leading to a growing urgency to address the challenge (Province of New Brunswick, 2014).

The Municipal Natural Assets Initiative (MNAI) and others have documented growing evidence that numerous interventions at different scales can reduce flooding risks, and that municipal natural asset management is one of them. For example, natural assets such as wetlands, green spaces and forests can store rain water and slow its release, thus supporting stormwater management and flood mitigation. Healthy, well-managed natural assets can also be resilient and adaptable, provide reliable services in a changing climate, and provide levels of service that meet or exceed regulatory standards (MNAI 2017a, 2020).