Paper/Poster/Presentation Title
Exploring water resources management models for achieving IWRM within Canada’s Major River Basins
Keywords
IWRM, water resources modelling, stakeholder engagement
Start Date
26-6-2018 3:40 PM
End Date
26-6-2018 5:00 PM
Abstract
Canada’s water resources face unprecedented threats from climate change and increasing development. Water resources management models can be useful tools for stakeholder engagement to communicate management scenarios to prepare for a variety of futures states and pursue desirable outcomes, in a management context of increasing uncertainty and complexity. However, due to limited sharing of data and model licensing restrictions, as well as a modelling focus on most probable – as opposed to feasible – future states, there is limited scope for extending the currently-used models to allow for improved stakeholder engagement. The Integrated Modelling Program for Prediction and Management of Change in Canada’s Major River Basins (IMPC) has been initiated to deliver decision-making tools and solutions for addressing the challenges facing Canada’s major river basins. As a sub-component of the IMPC, this study aims to explore suitable existing water resources management models. The study will focus on the Saskatchewan River Basin (SaskRB; ~400,000 km2) transcending the Canadian Provinces of Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba and the American State of Montana. SaskRB is under increasing pressure due to demands from agriculture, industry and hydropower as well as uncertainties around climate change. The Water Evaluation and Planning (WEAP), MODSIM and WRIMS models will be applied to the SaskRB and evaluated according to their potential use for integrating water resources management with stakeholder engagement, including their ability to communicate management alternatives and associated trade-offs, potential to answer relevant questions, legal barriers to model use and the potential to extend the models for additional functionality.
Exploring water resources management models for achieving IWRM within Canada’s Major River Basins
Canada’s water resources face unprecedented threats from climate change and increasing development. Water resources management models can be useful tools for stakeholder engagement to communicate management scenarios to prepare for a variety of futures states and pursue desirable outcomes, in a management context of increasing uncertainty and complexity. However, due to limited sharing of data and model licensing restrictions, as well as a modelling focus on most probable – as opposed to feasible – future states, there is limited scope for extending the currently-used models to allow for improved stakeholder engagement. The Integrated Modelling Program for Prediction and Management of Change in Canada’s Major River Basins (IMPC) has been initiated to deliver decision-making tools and solutions for addressing the challenges facing Canada’s major river basins. As a sub-component of the IMPC, this study aims to explore suitable existing water resources management models. The study will focus on the Saskatchewan River Basin (SaskRB; ~400,000 km2) transcending the Canadian Provinces of Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba and the American State of Montana. SaskRB is under increasing pressure due to demands from agriculture, industry and hydropower as well as uncertainties around climate change. The Water Evaluation and Planning (WEAP), MODSIM and WRIMS models will be applied to the SaskRB and evaluated according to their potential use for integrating water resources management with stakeholder engagement, including their ability to communicate management alternatives and associated trade-offs, potential to answer relevant questions, legal barriers to model use and the potential to extend the models for additional functionality.
Stream and Session
C15: Does Data and Science Make a Difference for Better Decisions in Environmental Management?