UWinnipeg to collect and share best practices to assist government and industry policy makers
WINNIPEG, MB –The University of Winnipeg’s Richardson College for the Environment has been selected by Natural Resources Canada to co-ordinate a $500,000, three-year project on climate change as the Prairies Regional Adaptation Collaborative. The project will encourage collaboration among sectors in Manitoba, Alberta and Saskatchewan with a focus on agriculture, energy, mining, forestry and water. UWinnipeg will gather and disseminate best practices in adapting effectively to climate change and host an annual interprovincial forum, ongoing workshops and joint communications.
“We all have a tremendous stake in the effects of climate change, and this is especially true on the Prairies, from agricultural producers to natural resource industries,” said Dr. Lloyd Axworthy, President and Vice-Chancellor, UWinnipeg. “There are real implications for our ecosystems, as well as our economic, social and political systems. UWinnipeg’s Richardson College for the Environment, with its multidisciplinary approach, is ideally positioned to play a key role in this area.”
UWinnipeg’s Richardson College is establishing itself as a centre of excellence in applied research and policy in the area of climate change, including climate change mitigation and adaptation. Working in co-operation with government, industry and leading environmental organizations, faculty and staff associated with the Richardson College are attracting research funding for projects that lead to relevant policy development and real world solutions.
“Adaptation to climate change, no matter what the sector, is a process that demands commitment and long-term thinking. This PRAC project will facilitate the development of collaborations that will increase the adaptive capacity that we will very much need in the years ahead,” said Dr. Danny Blair, Acting Principal of the College, the Associate Dean of Science, and a climatologist in the Department of Geography.
Media interviews: Terry Duguid, Director Northern Sustainable Prosperity Initiative
204-988-7506
t.duguid@uwinnipeg.ca
