• Climate Change and Water Security
• Land Water Management and Environmental Change
• Sustainable Development of Natural Resources
• Socio-hydrology

Research Theme - Climate Change and Water Security

Understanding the impacts of a changing climate on water resources is of major concern here in Canada and around the world. This need is especially urgent in climates such as Western Canada where the cold region, semi-arid climate creates a hydrological system that is extremely vulnerable to climate change and can be profoundly affected by changes in temperature and precipitation.

By conducting research at key sites in the Saskatchewan River basin, scientists at the Global Institute for Water Security are developing modelling systems to better understand the effects of climate change on water security and how to improve management practices to adapt to challenges posed by too much – or too little – water.  Tools developed in Saskatchewan have the potential to be used worldwide to evaluate water needs in 2050, 2100 and beyond.

Researchers work in interdisciplinary sub-groups at experimental sites across Alberta and Saskatchewan in the Saskatchewan River Basin. These sites are mostly established research sites where the U of S has already shown leadership and research expertise.

Theme Objectives:

• Improve understanding of interactions between terrestrial ecosystems and atmospheric processes, and of the impacts of climate variability on water-related ecosystem functions
• Improve the quality of global and regional climate models and enable better downscaling for water-related climate change impacts assessment
• Improve assessment of water supply and quality variability, including climate change impacts
• Enable policy development by commercializing new decision support tools for water security analysis
• Reinforce and establish internationally-leading science

Working group membership:

Theme Sub-Groups:

St. Denis National Wildlife Area
Brightwater Creek
Boreal Ecosystem and Modelling Sites (BERMS)
Rocky Mountains
Sibbald Lake Research Basin
Modelling
--> The MESH Modelling System: A Community Hydrology - Land Surface Model