Manitoba Adaptation Day: Understanding Manitoba-focused adaptation activities, research and capacity

The report details a workshop held on March 26, 2009, which brought together academics, policy-makers, and researchers to assess Manitoba's readiness for climate change. It identifies key climate risks for the Prairie region, such as water scarcity and ecosystem shifts, and outlines existing provincial activities like the 'Beyond Kyoto' action plan and various sustainable agriculture and water management projects. Participants highlighted significant barriers to adaptation, including short-term policy thinking, a lack of community-level capacity, and the absence of an overarching provincial adaptation strategy. The document proposes the creation of a Manitoba Climate Research Table to coordinate efforts and break down institutional silos, and discusses the Regional Adaptation Collaborative (RAC) program funded by Natural Resources Canada to address water issues in Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba.

• Climate projections for the Prairie region indicate that water scarcity is the most critical climate risk, and that ecosystems will be affected by altered disturbance regimes, such as fire and insects, and the introduction of non-native species.
• Manitoba's 'Beyond Kyoto' action plan, released in April 2008, commits to increasing the capacity of residents to prepare for climate impacts, including improving winter roads, water conservation, and wildlife monitoring.
• Several systemic barriers hinder adaptation in Manitoba, including a lack of awareness of climate consequences, the persistence of institutional silos, and the absence of a comprehensive, overarching provincial adaptation strategy.
• Policy and financial barriers include a tendency toward short-term thinking in electoral mandates and a lack of information regarding the specific costs of inaction versus the costs of adaptation.
• The proposed Manitoba Climate Research Table is intended to act as a neutral body to mobilize action, identify research gaps, and translate scientific research into layman's terms for the public.
• The Regional Adaptation Collaborative (RAC), funded by Natural Resources Canada with up to CDN$4 million per year over three years, will focus on water issues, agriculture, drought, and forest issues across Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba.

APA

Cunningham, D., Gass, P., & Parry, J.-E. (2009). Manitoba Adaptation Day: Understanding Manitoba-focused adaptation activities, research and capacity. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/manitoba_adaptation_day.pdf

Chicago

Cunningham, Dennis, Philip Gass, and Jo-Ellen Parry. Manitoba Adaptation Day: Understanding Manitoba-focused adaptation activities, research and capacity. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2009. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/manitoba_adaptation_day.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Cunningham |first1=Dennis |last2=Gass |first2=Philip |last3=Parry |first3=Jo-Ellen |title=Manitoba Adaptation Day: Understanding Manitoba-focused adaptation activities, research and capacity |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=March 2009 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/manitoba_adaptation_day.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{cunningham2009manitoba, author = {Cunningham, Dennis and Gass, Philip and Parry, Jo-Ellen}, title = {{Manitoba Adaptation Day: Understanding Manitoba-focused adaptation activities, research and capacity}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2009}, month = mar, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/manitoba_adaptation_day.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }