Keyword Water

Many of Canada’s forested watersheds are prone to increasing wildfires under climate change. Less vegetation and more erosion are just a few of the ways in which wildfires disrupt water availability and quality. This poses threats to human health and raises challenges for water management systems. Experts Monica Emelko and Francois Robinne explain the connections between wildfire, water, and the health of Canadians.   Recommended Video Citation Climate Atlas of Canada. (2020). Quality Control: Wildfire, water, and our health. Prairie Climate Centre. https://climateatlas.ca/video/quality-control

The prairies and its people are connected by the Lake Winnipeg Watershed, one of the largest drainage basins in the world. This dynamic system relies on the stability of weather patterns, which are being affected by the changing climate. Troubled Waters urges action to address strains on waterways, and emphasises the need for collaboration across borders. Everything is interrelated from upstream to downstream, let’s work to protect the treasured biodiversity that we all depend on.   Recommended Video Citation Climate Atlas of Canada. (2024). Troubled Water: Freshwater at Risk. Prairie Climate Centre. https://climateatlas.ca/video/troubled-water

Winter is central to the Canadian prairie identity. It’s the defining season for a people whose common enemy is also their strength. The long cold snowy winter is also important to economies and ecosystems. And that winter is changing. Set to the backdrop of the Nestaweya River Trail, one of Canada’s longest skating trails, resilient settlers and newcomers alike talk about adapting to a world where the joys of the season are shrinking and what that will mean for future generations.   Recommended Video Citation Climate Atlas of Canada. (2024). Snowball effect: Warmer winters mean changing identities. Prairie Climate Centre. https://climateatlas.ca/video/snowball-effect

With “boots on the ground” along the Seine River that flows through Winnipeg, the Manitoba Métis Federation’s water quality program supports Métis citizen scientists to conduct research and monitoring related to climate change and pollution. As the “eyes and ears of the environment,” Métis citizens are collecting data, documenting change, and spreading the word around the importance of preparing for the future.   Recommended Video Citation Climate Atlas of Canada. (2022). The Eyes and Ears of the Environment: The Manitoba Métis Federation’s Water Quality Program. Prairie Climate Centre. https://climateatlas.ca/video/eyes-and-ears-environment

With summer temperatures starting to soar, many Canadians are eager to visit our favourite local beaches to break the heat. In many parts of the country, this means a trip to the nearest lake or river. Climate change is impacting waterbodies across the country, with lakes in Canada warming two times faster than other lakes in the world.[1] And with these changes come increased health risks. Higher temperatures and changing precipitation patterns make lakes more suitable for waterborne disease outbreaks.[2] As water quality worsens under climate change, beach closures and swimming advisories are expected to become more common.[3]

As summers become longer and hotter under climate change, many Canadians will be seeking relief at lake beaches. But hotter summers and changing precipitation make favourable conditions for algal blooms to grow in the water, which can produce toxins that are harmful to human health. Experts, Indigenous communities, and residents in the Lake Winnipeg area are all too familiar with the impacts of algal blooms on health, as they discuss in this video   Recommended Video Citation Climate Atlas of Canada. (2021). Hotter Summers Greener Lakes: Algal blooms, climate change, and human health. Prairie Climate Centre. https://climateatlas.ca/video/hotter-summers-greener-lakes

Wind-swept, remote, and jaw-droppingly beautiful. These are Quebec’s Îles-de-la-Madeleine. A narrow archipelago, surrounded on all sides by the unpredictable waters of the Gulf of St Lawrence, the islands are home to just under 13,000 souls who live mainly from fishing and tourism. Like many small islands around the globe, the consequences of climate change are altering life here dramatically. Islanders are coming together to grapple with this reality and find local solutions, and are asking hard questions about the future.