Lake Winnipeg Basin Summit Follow-up Meeting

This report synthesizes the proceedings of a follow-up meeting held on December 1, 2011, to review progress since the 2010 Lake Winnipeg Basin Summit. The meeting focused on the 'Lake Winnipeg Bioeconomy Project,' an initiative by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) to transform nutrient loading issues—specifically phosphorus pollution—into economic opportunities through clean technology and sustainable development.

• The Lake Winnipeg Bioeconomy Project aims to address the phosphorus pollution of Lake Winnipeg by treating the pollutant as a 'scarce and strategic resource' rather than just a waste product. The project's environmental goal is to achieve a 50 per cent reduction in phosphorus load on the lake, as mandated by the Save Lake Winnipeg Act, 2011, while improving overall watershed health.
• The project pursues a triple-bottom-line approach to sustainable development: economically, it seeks to establish a clean technology cluster in Manitoba to develop water and nutrient management systems for domestic use and export; socially, it aims to revitalize rural Manitoba communities through clean technology investments.
• IISD introduced the Manitoba Bioeconomy Atlas as a geospatial decision-support tool. This tool is designed to identify investment opportunities that link nutrient management with flood and drought mitigation, serving as a resource assessment, watershed design, and rural economic development tool.
• Stakeholders expressed significant concern regarding the financial viability of the bioeconomy approach, emphasizing that solutions must be profitable to be sustainable in a rural agricultural context. Participants stressed the need for a robust business case that balances private benefits for landowners with broader public benefits.
• Participants identified several policy and governance barriers, including a lack of consistency in Manitoba government programming and the legacy of '130 years of politically driven drainage programs.' There was a strong call for senior political leadership and a 'unified voice' to coordinate efforts across different government levels.
• Environmental concerns were raised regarding the potential for bioeconomy projects to negatively impact biodiversity or soil quality. Stakeholders recommended the use of pilot projects and adaptive management protocols to ensure that economic development does not occur at the expense of environmental well-being.
• The meeting highlighted the need for a comprehensive communication strategy to build buy-in from the 'Premier’s office' down to the general public. This includes the H20 Solutions Project, a planned permanent exhibit at the Manitoba Museum designed to educate the public on eutrophication and potential solutions.

APA

International Institute for Sustainable Development (2012). Lake Winnipeg Basin Summit Follow-up Meeting. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/summit_followup_meeting_2011.pdf

Chicago

International Institute for Sustainable Development. Lake Winnipeg Basin Summit Follow-up Meeting. 2012. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/summit_followup_meeting_2011.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=International Institute for Sustainable Development |title=Lake Winnipeg Basin Summit Follow-up Meeting |date=2012 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/summit_followup_meeting_2011.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{internationalinstituteforsustainabledevelopment2012lake, author = {{International Institute for Sustainable Development}}, title = {{Lake Winnipeg Basin Summit Follow-up Meeting}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2012}, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/summit_followup_meeting_2011.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }