Global News – ‘Incredibly destructive’: Canada’s Prairies to see devastating impact of climate change
Click here to read the article in Global News
A 2021 article published in Global News discusses the consequences of climate change on the Prairies. This booming agricultural sector of Canada brings in $143 billion yearly and employs 2.3 million people (2018). Considering the economic and food security important of the region to Canada (which is warming at double the global rate and in 2020 reached almost 1.3 degrees C above pre-industrial levels) the impact of climate change on the Prairies is a massive concern. Paradoxically, climate change is likely to cause both water scarcity (drought) and excess (flooding) throughout the region. While the Prairies are expected to have a net increase in total precipitation, the timing of the rains are less likely to align with crop requirements and will fall in shorter, extreme events. In the future precipitation may do more harm than good. Farmers have already noticed that the weather conditions are more challenging, and they’re not likely to improve in the near future.
With mounting impacts on crops and infrastructure, solutions are desperately needed. To avoid possible food shortages, farmers are considering switching the types of crops grown. Water management is also key, as natural precipitation patterns will be less reliable for agricultural purposed in the future. A 2021 Natural Resources Canada report details the extent of damage that the Prairies could see.
The Canada1Water project aims to give people in the agriculture industry, amongst others, the tools to help adapt to these conditions. This article was written in 2021, however, this is still a pressing matter.
Click here to read the article in Global News
“I actually would say that the number one threat to agriculture anywhere in the world is climate change for sure because it makes things so unpredictable. I would say that climate change is to agriculture as the pandemic was to retail.”
“Extreme weather events of amplified severity will likely be the most challenging consequences of climate change in the Prairie provinces. The impacts of flooding, drought, and wildfire in recent years are unprecedented, and climate models suggest increased risk of these events in the future.””
The Canada1Water blog has highlighted water issues in the Prairies before, check them out here!