A long history of drought cycles means the Prairies should be prepared to adapt to more summers like this one
When scientist David Sauchyn first focused his research on climate change adaptation in Western Canada more than two decades ago, he often received pushback in the form of a question: Why don’t we just stop climate change, rather than adapting?
Looking back 1,000 years, there have been dry periods here worse than anything that has been recorded in the past century, Dr. Sauchyn said. He knows this from examinations of tree rings on the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains. From that wooden record, we know that drought will happen again, too. “But now it’s occurring in a warmer climate, which really amplifies the severity,” he said., the driest of Canada’s big cities.
The seriousness of the situation is evident in the outdoor water restrictions that were put in place earlier this month by the city of Calgary. The city has, in past years, put restrictions in place because of flooding. This is the first time restrictions have been put in place as a result of drought.
“It’s been dry everywhere. The further east you go, the drier it’s been,” said Richard Phillips, general manager of the Bow River Irrigation District, headquartered in Vauxhall, Alta. “There’s been so little rain this year.”
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