Good morning, Chair and committee members.
First, thank you for giving Natural Resources Canada an opportunity to speak on its role on fresh water. I'd also like to recognize that I am speaking to you from the traditional unceded territory of the Algonquin Anishinabe people. We recognize indigenous people as the customary keepers and defenders of the Ottawa River watershed and its tributaries. We honour their long history of welcoming many nations to this beautiful territory and uphold and uplift the voice and values of our host nations.
As noted, I am Sumit Gera, the senior director for the Canada centre for mapping and earth observation, which is part of the strategic policy and innovation sector in Natural Resources Canada. Today, I can speak to CCMEO as the lead in providing authoritative and core geospatial data and flood plain mapping. While we don't specialize in fresh water, we have many directly and indirectly related initiatives.
For example, through our emergency geomatics services, NRCan provides critical, near real-time emergency mapping and information to Public Safety Canada and first responders during ice breakups and flooding events.
Aside from emergency flood maps, NRCan is also responsible for the flood hazard identification and mapping program known as FHIMP, which aims to meet mandated commitments to collaborate with provinces and territories to complete engineered flood hazard maps and innovate with supporting partners to advance flood hazard information coverage throughout Canada.
The distinction between that service and the emergency program is that the emergency services are more of a reactive response, and the flood hazard mapping program is an area of proactivity. Many flood maps and studies will be located along freshwater—