The Future of Natural Infrastructure Across Canada's Prairies

Canada's Prairie provinces are facing a growing gap between the water infrastructure they have, the infrastructure they need, and the available resources to bridge that gap. Its ecosystems and communities are also increasingly feeling the impacts of floods, droughts, algal blooms, and a changing climate. Yet there are solutions that can be drawn from these same ecosystems—namely, the potential for nature to help meet these infrastructure needs and provide crucial ecological and societal benefits.

On Thursday, September 15, 2022 from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. (CST), the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) launched Natural Infrastructure for Water Solutions (NIWS), a 5-year initiative to scale up natural infrastructure in Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba for cleaner water and resilient communities.

Speakers included:

• Richard Florizone, President and CEO, IISD
• The Honourable Terry Duguid, Member of Parliament
• Dimple Roy, Director, Water Management, IISD
• A panel of high-level experts to be announced closer to the date.

The event looked at water needs on the Prairies, the widening infrastructure gap, and the unique benefits that natural infrastructure can bring. Speakers also described how to ensure that the case for more natural infrastructure is backed by evidence, adopted, financed, and built into policy, and how local municipalities can take part in this work. The event was held on Zoom, and the recording is available for viewing on IISD's YouTube Events channel and below.