Water Retention Beneficial Management Practices

The International Institute for Sustainable Development has developed a replicable strategy for spatial targeting of water retention projects, such as wetlands and small naturalized dams, in the Canadian Prairies. This approach uses models like PTMApp and LiDAR-based digital elevation models to identify optimal sites for phosphorus interception, particularly in ungauged basins where data is limited. Such natural infrastructure is presented as critical for mitigating the increased flood and drought risks caused by climate change in the region.

• Natural infrastructure, including wetlands and small naturalized dams, is essential for climate change adaptation in the Canadian Prairies by reducing flood and drought risks, improving water quality, enhancing biodiversity, and reducing atmospheric carbon.
• The use of spatial targeting allows for the optimization of water retention project placement to maximize the interception of phosphorus and improve the return on investment.
• Spatial targeting can be implemented using models like PTMApp (Prioritize, Target, and Measure Application) which utilize publicly available Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR)–based digital elevation models.
• The developed strategy is specifically designed for ungauged basins, ensuring it can be replicated in areas where water quality and quantity data are unavailable or limited.

APA

Morissette,, J. S. V. (2025). Water Retention Beneficial Management Practices. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/publications/report/water-retention-spatial-targeting-canada-prairies

Chicago

Morissette,, Joey Simoes,Jason Vanrobaeys,René. Water Retention Beneficial Management Practices. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2025. https://www.iisd.org/publications/report/water-retention-spatial-targeting-canada-prairies.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Morissette, |first1=Joey Simoes,Jason Vanrobaeys,René |title=Water Retention Beneficial Management Practices |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=26 May 2025 |url=https://www.iisd.org/publications/report/water-retention-spatial-targeting-canada-prairies |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{morissette2025water, author = {Morissette,, Joey Simoes,Jason Vanrobaeys,René}, title = {{Water Retention Beneficial Management Practices}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2025}, month = may, url = {https://www.iisd.org/publications/report/water-retention-spatial-targeting-canada-prairies}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }