Towards Sustainable Development in Manitoba

The International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) recommends that Manitoba's watershed-based policy framework—comprising the GROW program, water resource management, and the Conservation District Program—adopt a robust, evidence-based evaluation framework focused on cumulative impacts. Key recommendations include targeting ecological goods and services (EGS) to specific high-impact regions, ensuring a net gain in water retention to combat climate-induced floods and droughts, and strengthening the authority and resources of local watershed authorities. The briefing emphasizes the need for open data, the integration of Indigenous and local knowledge, and the use of offsets to maintain wetland protection and water quality, particularly in the Red River Basin and Lake Winnipeg.

• The three proposed programs—GRowing Outcomes in Watersheds (GROW), Watershed-based Drainage and Water Resource Management, and Modernizing Manitoba’s Conservation District Program—should be linked by a robust, evidence-based evaluation and monitoring framework that measures cumulative impacts across watersheds.
• To maximize impact and value for money, the GROW program should use regional targeting of beneficial management practices (BMPs) to identify hotspots where ecological goods and services (EGS) are most vulnerable or cost-efficient, such as applying nutrient management in the Red River Basin.
• The GROW program could achieve financial sustainability by leveraging emerging markets, such as selling offsets into carbon markets or allowing municipalities to offset point-source phosphorus loading through land management practices.
• Manitoba should aim for a net gain in water retention to improve drought resilience and nutrient management, especially given the risk of increasing floods and drought caused by climate change. This could be operationalized through a multiplier ratio for offsets, similar to Alberta's system.
• Tile drainage projects should be required to include a corresponding retention basin or an offset option to mitigate downstream flooding and nutrient overloading.
• The province should ensure that municipal wastewater lagoons are captured under regulations and treated as a distinct category to ensure they meet phosphorus discharge regulations.
• Modernized watershed authorities (WAs) need more authority and resources, similar to Ontario-based Conservation Authorities, to effectively deliver water resources planning and environmental protection.

APA

International Institute for Sustainable Development (2017). Towards Sustainable Development in Manitoba. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/toward-sustainable-development-manitoba.pdf

Chicago

International Institute for Sustainable Development. Towards Sustainable Development in Manitoba. 2017. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/toward-sustainable-development-manitoba.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=International Institute for Sustainable Development |title=Towards Sustainable Development in Manitoba |date=October 2017 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/toward-sustainable-development-manitoba.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{internationalinstituteforsustainabledevelopment2017towards, author = {{International Institute for Sustainable Development}}, title = {{Towards Sustainable Development in Manitoba}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2017}, month = oct, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/toward-sustainable-development-manitoba.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }