Northern Water Futures

PI: Jennifer Baltzer, Canada Research Chair in Forests and Global Change, Wilfrid Laurier University

Project Manager: Meghan Brockington

The Problem: Northwestern Canada is one of the most rapidly warming regions on Earth and is particularly sensitive to climate warming.

The Plan: This project will seek to expand the capacity for research and monitoring in the NWT and improve the understanding of the long-term sustainability in water resources.

The Outcome: In a region that has already experienced significant changes to water patterns, the Northern Water Futures project will predict future changes in the health of streams, rivers, and lakes, including key water ways used for hydropower, water supplies and transportation. In addition, resources exploration and production in NWT is expected to expand dramatically in the coming years, which will include construction of new highways, pipelines and other infrastructure that will put stresses on water resources.