iisd-ela-climate-change-brochure-28be3a2fecd03269.pdf

This fact sheet from the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) describes the climate change research findings of the IISD Experimental Lakes Area (IISD-ELA) in Northwestern Ontario, Canada. It highlights trends in air temperature, lake ice cover, water clarity, and the resulting impacts on lake trout populations.

• Air temperatures in Northwestern Ontario have risen more rapidly than the global average. Since 1969, mean annual air temperatures at the IISD-ELA facility increased by 0.42°C per decade, compared to a global average of 0.15-0.30 °C per decade. Additionally, autumn and winter months are warming faster than summer months.
• The duration of lake ice cover is decreasing in the Northern Hemisphere. In Northwestern Ontario, regional climate projections indicate that the duration of ice cover is expected to decline by another 20–30 days by 2070.
• Lake water clarity is changing due to the addition of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) via precipitation. While lakes in Eastern Canada are projected to get darker, those in Western Canada are projected to get lighter.
• Climate change is negatively impacting lake trout by reducing their available habitat and average size. Lake trout are being squeezed between surface waters that are too warm and bottom waters with insufficient dissolved oxygen. Since the 1970s, the average length of adult lake trout has decreased, which data suggests is linked to longer summer periods that restrict fish to deeper waters with less food.
• Precipitation patterns in Canada are projected to shift over the next century, with Western Canada becoming drier and Eastern Canada becoming wetter with increased precipitation.

APA

International Institute for Sustainable Development (n.d.). iisd-ela-climate-change-brochure-28be3a2fecd03269.pdf. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/iisd-ela-climate-change-brochure.pdf

Chicago

International Institute for Sustainable Development. iisd-ela-climate-change-brochure-28be3a2fecd03269.pdf. n.d. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/iisd-ela-climate-change-brochure.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=International Institute for Sustainable Development |title=iisd-ela-climate-change-brochure-28be3a2fecd03269.pdf |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/iisd-ela-climate-change-brochure.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{internationalinstituteforsustainabledevelopmentndiisdelaclimatechangebrochure28be3a2fecd03269pdf, author = {{International Institute for Sustainable Development}}, title = {{iisd-ela-climate-change-brochure-28be3a2fecd03269.pdf}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/iisd-ela-climate-change-brochure.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }