Large Area Planning in the Nelson-Churchill River Basin (NCRB)

The report assesses the biophysical and socioeconomic characteristics of the northern Nelson-Churchill River Basin (NCRB) in Manitoba, highlighting the economic value of its provisioning, regulating, cultural, and supporting ecosystem services. It identifies a lack of basin-wide planning and fragmented monitoring as key challenges. Drawing on case studies from the Fraser Basin, Mekong River Basin, and Quebec's Plan Nord, the document recommends establishing a multi-party, basin-level organization that includes Indigenous communities in shared decision-making, securing consistent funding through innovative mechanisms like trusts and user fees, and enhancing centralized data sharing and reporting to support sustainable development.

• The combined Nelson-Churchill River Basin (NCRB) is the third largest watershed in North America, covering more than 1.4 million km2.
• The northern NCRB provides significant economic value through provisioning services, including mining (CAD 1.4 billion in 2014), hydroelectricity (roughly CAD 1,800 million in 2016), and forestry exports (CAD 387 million in 2015).
• Tourism in northern Manitoba contributed CAD 116 million to the provincial economy in 2016, representing 8 per cent of total tourism spending in the province.
• Climate change is expected to cause warming primarily during winter months (October to April) in the NCRB, which may reduce snow cover and expose permafrost to higher atmospheric heat fluxes, potentially increasing carbon dioxide emissions.
• The hydrologic regime of the northern NCRB has been significantly altered by the Churchill River Diversion, which diverts up to 990 m3/s of water into the Nelson River, and by the regulation of Lake Winnipeg.
• There is currently no basin-wide planning initiative for the northern NCRB, with most existing efforts focused on sub-basins or specific project-affected areas.
• Indigenous communities are central to the region, with an estimated 65 per cent of the population in northern Manitoba identifying as Indigenous.
• Current environmental monitoring in the northern NCRB is fragmented, lacking a centralized database and standardized protocols across different collecting entities.
• The report identifies seven principles for successful watershed management: basin planning, leadership, multi-party approaches, shared decision making with Indigenous communities, monitoring and reporting, a role for legislation, and consistent long-term funding.
• Innovative funding mechanisms, such as the use of trusts and revenue-sharing agreements (e.g., the Nisichawayasihk Trust and equity partnerships in hydro projects), are highlighted as ways to ensure sustainable financing for watershed management.

APA

Zubrycki, K., Roy, D., Osman, H., Lewtas, K., Gunn, G., & Grosshans, R. (2016). Large Area Planning in the Nelson-Churchill River Basin (NCRB). International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/large-area-planning-nelson-churchill-river-basin-full-report.pdf

Chicago

Zubrycki, Karla, Dimple Roy, Hisham Osman, Kimberly Lewtas, Geoffrey Gunn, and Richard Grosshans. Large Area Planning in the Nelson-Churchill River Basin (NCRB). International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2016. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/large-area-planning-nelson-churchill-river-basin-full-report.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Zubrycki |first1=Karla |last2=Roy |first2=Dimple |last3=Osman |first3=Hisham |last4=Lewtas |first4=Kimberly |last5=Gunn |first5=Geoffrey |last6=Grosshans |first6=Richard |title=Large Area Planning in the Nelson-Churchill River Basin (NCRB) |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=November 2016 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/large-area-planning-nelson-churchill-river-basin-full-report.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{zubrycki2016large, author = {Zubrycki, Karla and Roy, Dimple and Osman, Hisham and Lewtas, Kimberly and Gunn, Geoffrey and Grosshans, Richard}, title = {{Large Area Planning in the Nelson-Churchill River Basin (NCRB)}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2016}, month = nov, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/large-area-planning-nelson-churchill-river-basin-full-report.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }