樱花影视

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Faculty of Graduate Studies

Jumai Emenike

  • BA (Simon Fraser University, 2014)

Notice of the Final Oral Examination for the Degree of Master of Arts

Topic

How a Hot Topic Affects Governance in British Columbia: An Examination of Extreme Heat Exposure Emergency Management Planning

School of Public Administration

Date & location

  • Monday, December 15, 2025

  • 1:30 P.M.

  • Virtual Defence

Reviewers

Supervisory Committee

  • Dr. Sarah Marie Wiebe, School of Public Administration, 樱花影视 (Supervisor)

  • Dr. Astrid Brousselle, School of Public Administration, UVic (Member) 

External Examiner

  • Dr. Anelyse Weiler, Department of Sociology, 樱花影视 

Chair of Oral Examination

  • Dr. Laura Minet, Department of Civil Engineering, UVic

     

Abstract

This study explores how British Columbia (BC) is addressing extreme heat under the new Emergency and Disaster Management Act (EDMA, 2023), with a focus on equity and planetary health. The research analyzes provincial policy documents and draws on interviews with actors from health, emergency management, housing, and climate adaptation at both provincial and municipal levels. Using interpretive policy analysis, the research explores how EDMA provisions are understood across the four phases of emergency management (preparation, response, mitigation, and recovery) and how existing extreme heat measures address heat vulnerability and adaptation. Findings reveal notable advances in preparedness and public health response, but significant gaps in mitigation, recovery, and cross-ministerial coordination. While policy documents officially acknowledge equity through tools such as heat vulnerability maps and the Population Environmental Risk Characteristic (PERC) file, implementation is limited by built environment constraints and institutional fragmentation. Planetary health considerations, including but not limited to ecological impacts and nature-based solutions, are recognized but remain marginal. The study concludes that EDMA provides policy opportunities, but effective heat governance requires a coordinated, multisectoral approach.

Keywords: extreme heat, emergency management, equity, planetary health, British Columbia, EDMA, climate adaptation

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