Traditional flood forecasting techniques are based on historical, long-term records. These techniques are failing as climate change pushes us further from historical norms. How can we generate better flood forecasts for an uncertain future? Canada1Water lays out a science-based roadmap to answer this very question.

In the wake of devastating flooding and mudslides throughout the Pacific Northwest, many communities across British Columbia are considering “managed retreat” as part of their flood mitigation strategies. As climate change threatens residents and infrastructure, more people will be forced to relocate.

Last summer’s drought across Western Canada was the worst in 70 years, but does the incredible rainfall in recent weeks spell the end of the drought?

A CBC News article sounds the alarm on the vulnerability of groundwater in Southern Quebec, and the need for accurate information and better modelling to successfully manage this precious resource.

In the wake of devastating flooding and mudslides throughout the Pacific Northwest, many communities across British Columbia are considering “managed retreat” as part of their flood mitigation strategies. As climate change threatens residents and infrastructure, more people will be forced to relocate.

A new analysis by the Globe and Mail (using new floodplain maps developed by the University of Western Ontario) reveals just how vulnerable Canadian cities are to flooding, with more than 30 Canadian cities with populations >10,000 having at least 10% of the cities buildings located in a 100-year floodplain, a risky exposure even today. But how will hydrologic conditions change in the future? What impact will climate change exert on floodplains? In fact, what does a “100-year” flood even mean when the climate changes? We know that climate change increases extreme precipitation, so how can we account for these future changes today? These are all questions that we are hoping to explore with the Canada 1 Water project.

The International Water Management Institute (IWMI) has released a new working paper (Change in global freshwater storage) which highlights the need for strategic thinking about the longevity of the world’s freshwater stores, especially ‘operational’ water storage (i.e. the portion of global water resources which can actually be utilized by people). The paper highlights some worrying trends, with a total loss of global terrestrial water storage of approximately 27,000 billion cubic meters! These losses are driven by melting glaciers, degradation of lakes/wetlands and over-abstraction of groundwater resources.