Prairie Adaptation Research Collaborative

Prairie Adaptation Research Collaborative
Name	Prairie Adaptation Research Collaborative
Formation	2013
Type	Research network
Headquarters	Regina, Saskatchewan
Region served	Canadian Prairies
Leader title	Director
Leader name	Unspecified

Prairie Adaptation Research Collaborative

The Prairie Adaptation Research Collaborative is an interdisciplinary network focused on climate change adaptation for the Canadian Prairie Provinces centering on Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and Alberta. It integrates applied research, stakeholder engagement, and policy translation to support resilience in rural and urban systems across landscapes such as the Great Plains (North America), Boreal Plains, and Prairie Pothole Region. The Collaborative works with provincial agencies, federal bodies, and Indigenous organizations including representatives from First Nations in Canada, Métis Nation organizations, and municipal governments.

Overview

The Collaborative operates as a hub linking academic institutions like the University of Regina, University of Saskatchewan, University of Manitoba, and University of Alberta with federal research bodies such as Environment and Climate Change Canada, Natural Resources Canada, and the National Research Council (Canada). Its remit spans climate modelling, hydrology, agriculture, and community planning, drawing on expertise from centres including the Prairie Adaptation Research Collaborative network partners and external collaborators such as the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, and provincial ministries. Stakeholders include rural municipalities like Rural Municipality of Ritchot, cities such as Regina, Winnipeg, and Edmonton, and watershed authorities such as the Saskatchewan Watershed Authority.

History and Development

The initiative emerged after extreme events that affected the Canadian Prairies and followed national dialogues involving the National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy, the federal Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change, and provincial adaptation strategies. Early development involved partnerships with research programs at the Institute for Environmental Change and Society, collaborations with the Prairie Adaptation Research Collaborative founding universities, and funding competitions administered by organizations like the Climate Change and Emissions Management Corporation and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada. Milestones include pilot projects co-designed with Indigenous governments including Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations and multinational comparisons with groups from the Midwestern United States and the European Union.

Research Programs and Methods

Research programs emphasize integrated assessment combining downscaled outputs from global models such as those used in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change assessments with regional datasets from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and observational networks like Environment and Climate Change Canada weather stations. Methods include participatory action research with communities in the Treaty 4 and Treaty 6 territories, scenario planning drawn from the Fourth National Climate Assessment approaches adapted to Canadian contexts, ecosystem service valuation using frameworks from the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, and hydrological modelling referencing tools developed by Water Survey of Canada. Interdisciplinary teams involve scholars affiliated with the Royal Society of Canada and practitioners from agencies such as Emergency Management Ontario for comparative methodology.

Partnerships and Funding

Funding and partnerships span provincial agencies, federal grant programs, and philanthropic bodies including the Canada Foundation for Innovation, the Green Municipal Fund, and provincial innovation funds such as the Manitoba Opportunities Fund. Academic partners include faculties and centres at the University of Calgary, Mount Royal University, and the Canadian Plains Research Center; research collaborations extend internationally to institutions like the University of Nebraska–Lincoln and the University of Cambridge. Operational partnerships involve non-governmental organizations such as the Prairie Climate Centre, the David Suzuki Foundation, and industry stakeholders including agricultural groups like the Canadian Federation of Agriculture and water utilities such as SaskWater.

Key Projects and Findings

Key projects include vulnerability assessments for prairie agriculture using crop models informed by data from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, flood risk mapping for basins such as the Red River of the North, and community resilience programs piloted in municipalities including Swift Current, Brandon, and Moose Jaw. Findings published by affiliated researchers demonstrate projected shifts in growing seasons consistent with scenarios described by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, increased frequency of extreme precipitation events mirroring analyses by Environment and Climate Change Canada, and the effectiveness of co-produced adaptation plans with Indigenous communities modeled after protocols from the Assembly of First Nations. Research outcomes have informed provincial policies reminiscent of the Saskatchewan Climate Change Strategy and municipal adaptation guidelines used by cities like Regina and Winnipeg.

Outreach, Education, and Policy Impact

Outreach activities include workshops with municipal planners from the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, training modules for agricultural extension officers associated with Alberta Agriculture and Forestry, and educational partnerships with school divisions such as the Regina Catholic School Division and public institutions like the Winnipeg School Division. Policy impact has been achieved through briefings to provincial legislatures and contributions to federal consultations under frameworks like the Federal Adaptation Policy Framework. The Collaborative’s model of co-production is cited in reports by bodies such as the Canadian Climate Institute and informs capacity-building programs delivered in partnership with organizations including the Indigenous Climate Action initiative and professional associations like the Canadian Water Resources Association.

Category:Climate change organizations based in Canada Category:Research institutes in Saskatchewan