Adaptive Policy Analysis of Mining Policies in Manitoba

The report evaluates six Manitoba mining policies against seven characteristics of adaptive policy to determine their ability to support planned adaptation to climate change and their autonomous capacity to respond to unanticipated events. Most policies were found to be 'partially contributing' to adaptation needs, with strengths in decentralization but weaknesses in formal review processes and formalized tools for self-organization.

• The majority of the analyzed policies were categorized as 'partially contributing' to both anticipated and unanticipated adaptation needs, falling into the yellow area of the adaptive policy analysis diagram.
• The Manitoba Workplace and Safety Operations of Mines Regulation W210 and the Water Quality Standards, Objectives, and Guidelines (WQSOG) were the highest-ranking policies for autonomous adaptability due to their decentralization and regular review mechanisms.
• While 94% of identified adaptive actions are indirectly supported by at least one policy, only 35% are directly supported.
• Policies managed by the Mines Branch have lacked a formal review process since the early 1990s, although there is a stated desire to conduct reviews in the near future.
• The analysis identified specific gaps in policy support for adaptation, notably regarding the diversion of rivers and water storage for brining, and challenges related to longer ice-free seasons in the Arctic.
• The suite of policies is considered sufficiently decentralized, with decision-making authority ranging from senior government officials to mine workers.
• There are no formalized tools within the analyzed policies to enable self-organization among mining actors, such as annual forums or structured reporting on results.
• Climate change is expected to directly impact mine closure plans, as the government remains responsible for environmental impacts after remediation and closure.

APA

International Institute for Sustainable Development (2013). Adaptive Policy Analysis of Mining Policies in Manitoba. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/adaptool_manitoba_mining.pdf

Chicago

International Institute for Sustainable Development. Adaptive Policy Analysis of Mining Policies in Manitoba. 2013. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/adaptool_manitoba_mining.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=International Institute for Sustainable Development |title=Adaptive Policy Analysis of Mining Policies in Manitoba |date=2013 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/adaptool_manitoba_mining.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{internationalinstituteforsustainabledevelopment2013adaptive, author = {{International Institute for Sustainable Development}}, title = {{Adaptive Policy Analysis of Mining Policies in Manitoba}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2013}, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/adaptool_manitoba_mining.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }