Prairie Climate Centre

Prairie Climate Centre
Name	Prairie Climate Centre
Formation	2016
Type	Research centre
Headquarters	University of Manitoba, Winnipeg
Region served	Prairie Provinces

Prairie Climate Centre is a research and outreach unit based at the University of Manitoba focused on applied climate science for the Canadian Prairies, including Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta. It synthesizes climate data and collaborates with municipal governments, Indigenous communities such as the Dakota and Anishinaabe nations, and non-governmental organizations like the David Suzuki Foundation to support adaptation and resilience planning. The centre translates projections from national institutions including Environment and Climate Change Canada and research groups such as the Canadian Centre for Climate Modelling and Analysis into regionally relevant tools for decision-makers across sectors like agriculture and urban planning in cities such as Winnipeg, Regina, and Calgary.

History

The centre was established amid a growing policy response to climate science influenced by reports from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and national assessments like the Canadian Climate Change Scenarios Network. Early collaborations drew on expertise from the University of Winnipeg and the International Institute for Sustainable Development and were informed by events including the 2011 Assiniboine River flood and the 2013 Alberta floods. Founding activities linked academic groups including the Natural Resources Canada research community and provincial agencies in Manitoba to municipal planners from the City of Winnipeg and regional stakeholders involved with the Prairie Farm Rehabilitation Administration.

Mission and Objectives

The centre’s mission emphasizes translating climate science into usable information for practitioners, aligning with priorities identified by the Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change and the National Adaptation Strategy. Objectives include producing downscaled scenarios compatible with modeling approaches from the Pacific Climate Impacts Consortium and the Ouranos Consortium, supporting adaptation planning used by provincial ministries such as Manitoba Growth, Enterprise and Trade, and strengthening Indigenous-led resilience consistent with principles embedded in agreements like the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada calls to action.

Research and Programs

Research spans climate projection downscaling methods, risk assessment, and sectoral impact studies in agriculture, water resources, and urban infrastructure. Programs have provided climate briefs used by utilities regulated under provincial bodies such as the Manitoba Public Utilities Board and informed agricultural extension services linked to organizations like the Canadian Agricultural Partnership. The centre has produced analysis relevant to extreme events mirrored in historical cases such as the 1988 North American drought of 1988–89 and contemporary responses coordinated with emergency management agencies like the Province of Saskatchewan emergency management apparatus.

Tools and Resources

The centre develops interactive visualizations, data summaries, and tailored climate atlases compatible with datasets from Global Climate Models used by the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project and output from the Canadian Regional Climate Model. Resources include scenario tables designed to integrate with planning processes used by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities and GIS-ready layers employed by conservation groups such as the Nature Conservancy of Canada. The team applies methods comparable to those used by the Climate Action Tracker and disseminates findings through platforms similar to the Climate Data Initiative.

Partnerships and Collaborations

Collaborations span academic partners like the University of Toronto and the University of British Columbia, governmental partners including Environment and Climate Change Canada and provincial environment ministries, and civic partners such as the Pembina Institute and Indigenous organizations represented by bodies like the Assembly of First Nations. International links include knowledge exchange with the Arctic Council research networks and comparative programs at institutions such as the Stockholm Environment Institute. The centre also works with municipal networks such as the ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability and the Canadian Institute of Planners.

Impact and Outreach

Outputs have informed municipal climate adaptation plans adopted by cities like Winnipeg and influenced provincial policy dialogues involving the Manitoba Climate and Green Plan. Outreach includes public exhibitions similar to those staged by the Canadian Museum of Nature and media engagement with outlets such as the CBC. The centre’s tools have been used by practitioners in sectors represented by the Canadian Federation of Agriculture and by utilities engaged with regulators like the Alberta Utilities Commission to evaluate climate risks to infrastructure.

Funding and Governance

Funding sources have combined university support from the University of Manitoba, competitive grants from federal programs administered by Natural Resources Canada and Canadian Institutes of Health Research for health-related climate work, and project funding from foundations comparable to the Trottier Family Foundation. Governance involves academic oversight through university departmental structures and advisory engagement with stakeholders including municipal councillors and representatives from provincial ministries such as Manitoba Sustainable Development.

Category:Climate research organizations Category:Organizations based in Winnipeg