Natural Infrastructure and Prairie Prosperity: Manitoba

This fact sheet by the International Institute for Sustainable Development details the economic impact and growth potential of the natural infrastructure sector in Manitoba and across the Canadian Prairies, highlighting its role in addressing water infrastructure gaps and increasing climate resilience.

• In 2022, the natural infrastructure sector in Manitoba directly employed more than 5,700 people and contributed over CAD 540 million directly to the provincial economy. When accounting for indirect and induced economic impacts, the sector's employment rose to over 9,500 people and its GDP contribution reached CAD 925 million.
• Investment scenarios for Manitoba suggest that annual investments of CAD 10 million could increase direct jobs by 8% and direct GDP by 7%, while annual investments of CAD 25 million could increase direct jobs by 21% and direct GDP by 17%.
• Across the Canadian Prairies (Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba), the natural infrastructure sector directly employed over 33,000 people and contributed over CAD 4.1 billion to GDP in 2022. Including indirect and induced effects, the sector supplied over 58,000 jobs and contributed CAD 7 billion to GDP. Projections indicate that increased investment could grow direct sector jobs by 18% to 26% and sector GDP by 10% to 16% by 2030.
• Natural infrastructure is used to address water infrastructure needs such as wastewater treatment, drinking water supply, and flood protection, while providing a buffer against weather extremes like droughts and wildfires. In Manitoba, this includes utilizing the Lake Winnipeg basin and existing endowment funds such as the Conservation Trust, the Wetland Trust, and the Growing Outcomes in Watersheds (GROW) Trust.
• The document provides comparative data for other provinces: in 2022, Alberta's natural infrastructure sector directly employed over 21,000 people and contributed CAD 2.9 billion to the economy, while Saskatchewan's sector directly employed over 5,800 people and contributed CAD 640 million. Additionally, a study in British Columbia indicated that a CAD 1 billion investment over 10 years in a Watershed Security Fund could generate 13,000 jobs and CAD 1.3 billion for the provincial economy by 2030.

APA

International Institute for Sustainable Development (n.d.). Natural Infrastructure and Prairie Prosperity: Manitoba. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2023-11/natural-infrastructure-prairie-prosperity-manitoba.pdf

Chicago

International Institute for Sustainable Development. Natural Infrastructure and Prairie Prosperity: Manitoba. n.d. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2023-11/natural-infrastructure-prairie-prosperity-manitoba.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=International Institute for Sustainable Development |title=Natural Infrastructure and Prairie Prosperity: Manitoba |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2023-11/natural-infrastructure-prairie-prosperity-manitoba.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{internationalinstituteforsustainabledevelopmentndnatural, author = {{International Institute for Sustainable Development}}, title = {{Natural Infrastructure and Prairie Prosperity: Manitoba}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2023-11/natural-infrastructure-prairie-prosperity-manitoba.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }