CBC News: Water shortages are a major risk of climate change. Alberta may already be seeing warning signs
A recent article from CBC News discusses the impacts of climate change on Alberta’s water resources. Here are some key highlights:
“What’s happening in this section of the Oldman River comes as no surprise, experts say, and the effects of climate change could lead to water shortages across Alberta in years to come. “We’re already in the climate catastrophe era,” said James Byrne, a geography professor at the University of Lethbridge who has studied climate change for more than 30 years.”
““We have allocated 100 per cent of our water. We cannot allocate any more,” [said University of Lethbridge geography professor Stefan Kienzle]. “The biggest threat facing southern Alberta is multi-year droughts … maybe the [irrigators] can get away with scraping by two years.
”But if you have a drought that is longer than two years, you are done. Irrigation is done. The productivity is done. We will all scramble for water as municipalities and industries to keep our faucets going.””