Strengthening Adaptive Capacity in Two Canadian Provinces: ADAPTool analysis of selected mining policies in Manitoba and Saskatchewan

This synthesis report by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) evaluates the adaptability of 15 mining sector policies in Manitoba and Saskatchewan to climate change using the Adaptive Design and Assessment Policy Tool (ADAPTool). The analysis focuses on four mining phases—exploring and siting, development, operations, and closure and remediation—against stressors such as increased drought, excessive moisture, and rising temperatures. The report assesses both 'planned adaptability' (support for anticipated adaptation actions) and 'autonomous adaptability' (the ability of policies to respond to unanticipated changes).

• The analysis identified a lack of policy support for specific adaptation actions in both provinces, particularly those related to transportation and building codes during the operations and development phases.
• Climate change adaptation is identified as critical for all mining phases, with the closure and remediation phase being particularly affected.
• There is a significant deficiency in the use of foresight methods, such as scenario planning, across the analyzed policies in both provinces.
• The reliance on historical baselines for building codes and environmental measurements, such as water quality, is flagged as a vulnerability because these baselines may become inaccurate under climate change projections.
• Financial funds established for mine closure, remediation, and unforeseen events may be inadequate to cover costs in projected climate change scenarios, necessitating periodic re-evaluation.
• The majority of analyzed policies are regulatory; the report suggests that incorporating a mix of economic, expenditure, and institutional instruments could increase adaptive capacity.
• Environmental assessment acts in both provinces demonstrated high adaptive capacity due to their broad scope, use of expert reviewers, and opportunities for multistakeholder deliberation.
• The Hazardous Substance and Waste Dangerous Goods Regulations in Saskatchewan was identified as the least adaptive policy, failing in areas of stakeholder capacity, deliberation, self-organization, decentralization, and regular review.
• In Manitoba, policies under the Mines Branch lack formal review processes and have not been reviewed since the early 1990s, whereas policies outside this branch generally include embedded formal reviews.
• In Saskatchewan, most policy reviews are informal or not publicly reported, with the Drilling Regulation being a notable exception for conducting and publishing regular reviews.
• Access to information and skills is one of the most highly supported determinants of adaptive capacity for stakeholders in both provinces, while access to financial resources receives little support.

APA

International Institute for Sustainable Development (2014). Strengthening Adaptive Capacity in Two Canadian Provinces: ADAPTool analysis of selected mining policies in Manitoba and Saskatchewan. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/adaptool_mining_synthesis.pdf

Chicago

International Institute for Sustainable Development. Strengthening Adaptive Capacity in Two Canadian Provinces: ADAPTool analysis of selected mining policies in Manitoba and Saskatchewan. 2014. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/adaptool_mining_synthesis.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=International Institute for Sustainable Development |title=Strengthening Adaptive Capacity in Two Canadian Provinces: ADAPTool analysis of selected mining policies in Manitoba and Saskatchewan |date=2014 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/adaptool_mining_synthesis.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{internationalinstituteforsustainabledevelopment2014strengthening, author = {{International Institute for Sustainable Development}}, title = {{Strengthening Adaptive Capacity in Two Canadian Provinces: ADAPTool analysis of selected mining policies in Manitoba and Saskatchewan}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2014}, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/adaptool_mining_synthesis.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }