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Public Documents
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| Institutions and Sustainability: An Analytical Report |
| | | Today, we constantly hear of a wounded planet in need of urgent human actions. Through patterns of production and consumption, we are facing problems such as resource depletion, climate change, desertification and deforestation. These patterns are largely determined by institutional arrangements. This paper is a contribution to the discussion of institutional adaptation to climate change. It discusses some of the fundamental issues associated with institutional arrangements and the changes that might be implemented within existing political and institutional settings in order to contribute to the process of sustainability in the context of global change.
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| Description of the Elqui River Basin |
| | Cepeda, J., M. Fiebig, H. Morales and S. Salas, | 2004, | English |
| | This paper provides a preliminary description of the Chilean study area. It includes five parts: introduction (part 1); a general description and the economic activities of the study area (part 2); a general description on the regional climate and hydrology, including ENSO effects on hydrological cycle with emphasis in the study area (part 3); the climate change vulnerabilities in natural systems with relevance to the study area (part 4); a description of the social systems and a preliminary assessment of the climate change vulnerabilities and adaptation options in human systems with relevance to the study area (part 5).
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| Ecología del Valle del Elqui: Insectos y Otros Artrópodos |
| | Cepeda, J. and J. Pizarro, | 2005, | Español |
| | A partir de un transecto altitudinal, se entrega información sobre la presencia e importancia de los artrópodos asociados a cultivos agrícolas y salud humana en seis localidades del Valle de Elqui. Las localidades son El Molle, Diaguitas, Quebrada de Huanta, Pisco Elqui, Horcón y Alcohuaz. De un total de 46 especies de insectos y 19 de arácnidos, nueve especies de Insecta y una de Arachnida, respectivamente, pueden ser consideradas plagas de importancia agrícola. Ellas atacan a uno o más hospederos cultivados en el valle. Dentro de las especies de importancia en salud pública, se destaca la presencia de los Arachnida-Araneae Loxosceles y Latrodectus, y de los Insecta-Hemiptera Triatoma (la chinche de las casas) y Mepraia (la chinche de campo); estos dos últimos géneros están relacionados a la transmisión del la enfermedad de Chagas en el Valle del Elqui. Representada por 9 géneros, Tenebrionidae es la familia más diversa en los sectores de secano, seguida por Carabidae con 3 géneros. A medida que estudios demográficos futuros lo indiquen, algunas de las especies que conforman el ensamble de Arthopoda pueden ser buenos indicadores de cambio climático.
From an altitudinal transect, information on the presence and importance of arthropods associated with agricultural crops and human health in six localities of the Elqui river valley is provided. The localities are El Molle, Diaguitas, Quebrada Huanta, Pisco Elqui, Horcón and Alcohuaz. The presence of 46 species of insects and 19 of arachnids is recognized. Of these, nine and one, respectively, can be considered as of economical importance to agricultural crops. They attack one or more hosts being grown in the area. Among the species important to human health, it is recognized the presence of the arachnids Loxosceles (brown recluse spider) and Latrodectus (black widow spider), and the hemipterans Triatoma (indoor kissing bug) and Mepraia (outdoor kissing bug), both vector of Chagas’ disease in the valley. The most diverse family in the rain fed sites is Tenebrionidae, represented by nine species; Carabidae comes next with 3 genera. As further demographic studies may indicate, some of the species making-up the arthropod assemblage can be good indicators of climate change.
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| Sistemas Naturales de la Hoya Hidrográfica del Rió Elqui: Variabilidad Climática y Vulnerabilidad |
| | Cepeda, J. and F. López-Cortés, | 2004, | Español |
| | Diversos modelos numéricos proyectan que la temperatura promedio superficial del planeta aumentará al menos en 2º C cerca del año 2030. De acuerdo a tales proyecciones climáticas, para el norte-centro de Chile se espera un descenso de los montos pluviométricos, un aumento de la frecuencia y extensión temporal de las sequías, aumentos de la temperatura, elevación altitudinal de la línea de las nieves y aumento de los deshielos y caudales de invierno y primavera. En este escenario, la identificación de posibles efectos sobre los sistemas biológicos y productivos a escala local constituye una preocupación prioritaria. Dada las condiciones áridas predominantes, la cuenca del río Elqui es un ecosistema de baja productividad natural; tanto la distribución de la biodiversidad como la productividad ecológica están fuertemente ligadas a unidades espaciales con disponibilidad de agua. Por su clima mediterráneo, la principal fuente de agua lo constituyen las precipitaciones invernales; un elemento clave en el balance hídrico es la cantidad y el momento de ocurrencia de la precipitación nival que tiene lugar en las partes altas de la cuenca. Dado esta dinámica, los sectores bajos y medios de la cuenca muestran una elevada variabilidad inter-anual en la disponibilidad de agua, junto a prolongadas y severas sequías. Eventos naturales, tales como inundaciones, riesgos de crecidas, sequías prolongadas, aridización e intensificación de la desertificación-, pueden aumentar su ocurrencia bajo estas modificaciones del clima. Del mismo modo, el riesgo de daño a las personas, propiedad y productividad económica podrá incrementar si no se diseñan medidas preventivas y mitigatorias para enfrentar estos eventos. Palabras clave: cambio climático, variabilidad climática, vulnerabilidad del ecosistema, cuencas hidrográficas áridas.
Different numerical models predict that surface mean temperature of Earth will increase in, at least, 2ºC for about the year 2030. According to such climate predictions, the Chilean north-central part would experience a decrease in rainfall, an increase in frequency and temporal extension of droughts, raise in air temperature, upward displacement of snowline, increments in snow-smelting and summer and spring flowstream. Given the Mediterranean climate, winter rainfall is the main source of water in the basin; a key element in the hydrologic budget is amount and time-arriving of mountain snowfall. As a result of prevailing arid conditions, the Elqui Valley basin constitutes an ecosystem of low natural productivity; both biodiversity and ecological productivity are strongly linked to land units where water is available. Because of this, low and midland valleys are characterized by a high inter-annual variability in water availability, accompanied by extensive and severe droughts. On this environmental scenario, a high priority needs to be set on the possible effects of these climate changes on the local biological and productive systems. Hazard occurrence, -derived from floods, high stream-flows, runoff and landslides, extended droughts, aridization and intensification of desertification-, may step up under these climate related changes. Risk of damage to humans, property and local economical productivity will also increase if preventive strategies are not anticipated to confront these events.
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| Overview of Climate and Aboriginal Adaptation in the South Saskatchewan River Basin before the Settlement Period |
| | Daschuk, J. and G. Marchildon, | 2005, | English |
| | This paper provides a brief overview of climatic change and human adaptation in the SSRB from A.D. 800 to the beginning of European settlement period at the end of the 19th century. The analysis is based on the variables identified by Smit et al. in their “Anatomy of Adaptation to Climate Change and Variability” (2000). Prior to the adoption of introduced forces such as the horse and the European-based market economy, the SSRB, though more prone to drought than in the 20th century, served as a refuge for aboriginal groups whose home territories were unsustainable. Susceptibility to negative climatic stimuli increased as a consequence of the integration of the region into the global economy. By the end of the 19th century, the bison herds, the bedrock of the aboriginal economy for millennia, were extinct and with the exception of the Blackfoot people of Southern Alberta, First Nations were expelled from the SSRB to make way for European agrarian settlement of the region.
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| Climate and Aboriginal Adaptation in the South Saskatchewan River Basin A.D. 800-1700 |
| | Daschuk, J. and G. Marchildon, | 2005, | English |
| | Climatic variability was the principal cause of cultural changes in the SSRB and the Northern Great Plains during the late prehistoric period. During the benign conditions associated with the Neo-Atlantic Climatic Episode (A.D. 900-1200), the SSRB and surrounding grasslands were relatively stable with regard to human occupation. During the same period, populations in the adjacent woodlands, particularly to the east and southeast of the SSRB, underwent an extended period of cultural change and expansion as a consequence of longterm improvement in climactic conditions. In regions surrounding the SSRB, the climatic deterioration associated with the Pacific Climatic Episode (A.D. 1200-1550) drove many woodland groups to the relative stability of the SSRB and northern Great Plains. Southeast of the SSRB, protracted desiccation prompted a region-wide abandonment of agriculture and a shift toward bison hunting. As conditions worsened during the Neo-Boreal Climatic Episode (A.D. 1550-1850), migrations to the SSRB from the woodlands to the east continued. Competition for resources, particularly bison, increased as groups originating south of the 49th parallel shifted their focus northward to the SSRB. Although longterm temperature decline and protracted drought undoubtedly reduced the biomass and available food supply in the SSRB, the impact of declining conditions in the regions surrounding it were much more severe. For more than 500 years after A.D. 1200, the SSRB and vicinity served as a relative refuge for groups experiencing climatically driven environmental stress. The dynamics of those migrations, undertaken during a period of protracted hardship, is essential to the understanding of both climatic adaptation and tribal occupation of the SSRB and the northern Great Plains generally.
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| Climate and Aboriginal-Newcomer Adaptation in the South Saskatchewan River Basin 1700-1800 |
| | Daschuk, J. and G. Marchildon, | 2005, | English |
| | The 18th century marked a time of unprecedented changes in indigenous adaptation patterns to climatic variability in the SSRB. European influences usurped climactic stimuli as the pre-eminent cause of material and cultural change in the region. Inhabitants of the region had to contend with new challenges arising from the fur trade economy and found themselves increasingly vulnerable to the effects of negative climatic stimuli. The four-hundred year pattern of westward migration by woodland peoples into the SSRB dramatically accelerated as they moved to meet the demands created by the fur trade. Additionally, in the mid-1700s, the introduction of the horse led to an equestrian dependency that further compromised the security of groups to the climatic variability. Differential access to horses and European goods, particularly firearms, affected the balance of power in the SSRB and contributed to the forcible displacement of some groups. Finally, in the 1780s, a devastating epidemic struck the plains with such ferocity that some groups ceased to exist as distinct entities; leading to the emergence of new equestrian communities. The fragility of horse populations in the face of unpredictable harsh weather patterns at the end of the 18th century highlighted the increased susceptibility of Basin peoples to negative climactic stimuli. Herd depletion limited the ability of various groups to participate in the commercially driven bison hunt. Afflicted parties sought to replenish their herds by engaging in opportunistic raids upon adjacent populations. The ensuing warfare over horses, territory, and status within the fur trade further endangered the ability of all groups in the region to survive extreme climactic episodes. Once aboriginal societies in the SSRB began making adaptations to accommodate the European-controlled fur trade economy, they ceased employing and refining those coping strategies which had previously buffered Basin occupants from destructive climatic stimuli.
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| Institutions and Adaptive Capacity to Climate Change |
| | Diaz H., A. Rojas, L. Richer and S. Jeannes, | 2005, | English |
| | The paper is focused on conceptual and methodological issues relevant to the evaluation of the roles played by formal public and private institutions in reducing the vulnerability of rural communities. It discusses the need to study and understand institutional adaptations and clarifies the definition and operationalisation of institutions. It provides a working definition of institutional adaptive capacity and discusses the main components for a successful evaluation required for creating a successful structured institutional adaptive capacity, relating these components to three elements: inputs, processing, and outputs that are described to be later assessed during the evaluation of the adaptive capacities of public institutions. The paper contains an appendix that provides a detailed description of the main institutions in the area of water management in Chile and Canada.
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| Adaptive Capacity for the South Saskatchewan River Basin |
| | Diaz, H. and D. A. Gauthier, | 2006, | English |
| | This article focuses on the role of public institutions as a component of the adaptive capacity of rural communities and rural households for dealing with risks from changing climate conditions and resource scarcities. The discussion is intended to contribute to the understanding of the term “adaptive capacity” by discussing conceptual and methodological issues related to institutional adaptation to climate change. Research underway in the SSRB is used for illustrative purposes.
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| Estudio de Comportamientos y Opiniones de Dirigentes y Socios de los Comités de Agua Potable Rurales Provincia del Elqui |
| | Espinoza, R. and H. Morales, | 2004, | Español |
| | The document discusses the profile of the organizations that manage rural potable water in Chile. The main functions of these organizations are to obtain, to distribute, and to administer the potable water rural in the rural community. Their members are the homeowners in the community and they participate, with right to vote, in the meetings of these organizations. The document discusses the results of two studies carried out among members of these organizations in the Elqui Basin. The studies emphasize problems related to internal control and planning, and make several proposals on how to deal with them.
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| Planeacion Estratégica para los Comités de Agua Potable Rural |
| | Espinoza, R. and H. Morales, | 2005, | Español |
| | The document discusses the institutional problems of the Rural Potable Water Committees in the Coquimbo Region of Chile. These committees do not have a proper regulatory framework and, consequently, they lack juridical stability. The document discusses a strategic plan to transform these committees into strongly structured and sustained organizations. The conversion of these committees into co-operatives could be a viable means of maintaining community participation.
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| A climate change adaptation study for the South Saskatchewan River Basin |
| | | The paper provides a preliminary assessment of adaptation options for the SSRB and the identification of the most important key players involved. This study includes six parts: an introduction (part 1); a description of the study area (part 2); a review on the climate change prediction tools and impacts for the study area (part 3); the climate change vulnerabilities and adaptation options in natural and human systems with relevance to the study area (part 4); conclusions and discussions (part 5); and references (part 6). Among the human systems vulnerabilities to climate change, further analysis has been done on the water resources sector.
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| Climate and Health: Some General Observations for the IACC Project |
| | Marchildon, G., | 2005, | English |
| | Because human communities and individuals are part of both local and global ecosystems, health conditions within them are influenced to a significant degree by climatic fluctuation. Changes in microbial ecosystems, the source of disease among human and animal populations, are often the direct result of variability of water. This paper considers three aspects of the interaction between water, disease, and human populations. The three aspects are temperature (in particular the significant warming of the past decades), drought, and overabundance of water. The three variables are intimately related and, as with any other aspects of ecosystems, cannot be easily separated from one another.
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| Adaptaciones Institucionales al Cambio Climático. Instituciones Relacionadas con el Agua en Chile y en la Región de Coquimbo |
| | Morales, H. and R. Espinoza, | 2004, | English |
| | The institutional system concerned with water issues in Chile is composed of a large number of public and private organizations. The document describes the history and roles of these organizations, as well as their relationships with stakeholders interested in water resources. The organizations discussed in the document involve (a) a group of public institutions (General Water Directorate, Hydrological Work Directorate, the National Commission of the Environment, and the National Commission for Irrigation; (b) research organizations (CAZALAC and CEAZA); (c) irrigation organizations (Juntas de Vigilancias); and (d) service provider organizations (Aguas del Valle and Comités de Agua Potable Rural).
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| Organizaciones de Usuarios de Agua de la Cuenca del Rió Elqui |
| | Morales, H. and R. Espinoza, | 2005, | English |
| | The distribution of the water from the Elqui River is under the direct management of user organizations called “Asociaciones de Canalistas.” Those who have received water allocations organize themselves into these “Asociaciones de Canalistas,” which administer and coordinate the use of water among the users. The document discusses the existing irrigation infrastructure in the Elqui valley and describes the two main “asociaciones” existing in basin, as well as the legal norms that define their existence.
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| Inversiones Regionales en Infraestructura en Recursos Hídricos. Región de Coquimbo Chile 1990-1994 |
| | Morales, H. and R. Espinoza, | 2005, | English |
| | The document presents statistical information for expenditures on public works in the area of water and sewage for the Coquimbo Region. It discusses these expenditures under different governments, focusing in the periods 1976 to 1984 and 1990 to 2000. These investments are important for both social and productive purposes. The document notes that expenditures on infrastructure are directly related to the country’s economic growth and the role of state as a facilitator for capital investments.
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| Value and Ethical Analysis in Vulnerability to Climate Change: Establishing an Analytic Framework for Identifying Classifying and Evaluating Vulnerability Issues |
| | | The function of a values analysis is to provide a comprehensive framework for identifying, categorizing and evaluating the values affected by decision and policy making. In part, it is motivated by a need to ensure appropriate representation and weighting of the sorts of values that are often seen as incommensurable with economic values and cost-benefit analysis. This paper describes the reasoning behind the development of a value analysis, the procedure involved in conducting such an analysis and how values analysis can be connected to ethnographic research. The paper also assesses the literature on vulnerability to climate change with an eye to how well it represents the diversity of values pertinent to stakeholder vulnerability. It then incorporates the three functions of value analysis with the functions of ethnographic research as set out in the team’s working paper by Smit, Wandel and Young, “Vulnerabilities of Communities to Environmental Change.”
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| Successful Institutional Adaptation to Climate Change Impacts Posed on Water Resources |
| | Rojas, A. and L. Richer, | 2005, | English |
| | The purpose of this paper is to contribute to the project by: (1) providing a discussion of the ways that success can be defined when talking about successful institutional adaptation to climate change impacts posed on water resources; (2) providing a review of specific “successful” institutional adaptive measures and principles; and (3) providing suggestions about some general principles that can aid successful institutional adaptation (institutional design, process, environment, and principles). This paper is based upon both a review of literature and the views of the authors.
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| Descripción de Áreas de Estudio ERB |
| | Salas, S. H.L. Morales, E. Jiménez and R. Espinoza, | 2005, | Español |
| | The document describes the areas selected for community assessment in the Elqui River Basin. Three areas were selected. Each of these areas involves two or more interconnected rural communities. From a demographic perspective, the selected areas correspond to a group of census units, allowing for a statistical analysis using census data. The document contains demographic information on the selected localities, complemented by information gathered through focus groups with representatives of the community organizations existing in the localities. These focus groups were organized to identify climate adaptative experiences and climate vulnerabilities.
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| South Saskatchewan River Basin Biogeography |
| | Lac, S. and C. Colan, | 2005, | English |
| | This document is intended to provide a description of the SSRB biogeography and the identification of areas within the SSRB which are more exposed to permanent degradation, from which the rural communities can be assumed to be at greater risk to climate change impacts. This report is divided into six parts: introduction (part 1); biogeography description of the SSRB which includes a general overview of the SSRB and a description of its ecozones and ecoregions (part 2); the natural hazards, which includes a review on drought definition, its causing factors and past (long-term) records (part 3); the sensitive areas selected in the SSRB as an indicator of vulnerable communities (part 4); the conclusions (part 5); and references (part 6).
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| Vulnerability of Communities to Environmental Change |
| | Smit, B., J. Wandel and G. Young, | 2005, | English |
| | This paper provides an overview of the concepts of vulnerability, adaptation and adaptive capacity, with reference to related concepts like resilience, risk, sensitivity, hazard, exposure, stability, coping and adaptability, especially as they have been used in the context of climate change. The paper reviews common interpretations and applications of the terms, and develops a general conceptual model of vulnerability as it relates to human societies or communities. The paper also provides a critique of analytical approaches and methods to assess vulnerability and to identify opportunities to enhance adaptive capacity and to provide information directly applicable to the development of adaptation strategies. These methods are described to show how ethnographic principles and procedures provide insights that can be systematically integrated with institutional analyses and modeling of climatic, hydrologic and ecologic systems.
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| Holocene Paleoclimatology in the South Saskatchewan River Basin |
| | | The focus of this report is climate variability during the Late Holocene. The reason to focus on the Late Holocene is because the climate of the early and early-mid Holocene was still under the influence of glacial retreat, ice melt and crustal rebound (Last and Teller, 1983; MacDonald and Case, 2000). The great majority of the climate records included in this report come from the study of lake sediments and these lakes have been formed as a consequence of glacial retreats; therefore, the climate signal can be analysed after all the influence from glaciers has ended. This report includes six sections: (1) a summary of the present climate; (2) the main findings from the limnological and palynological records; (3) the climate changes detected by the geomorphogical evidence, mainly dune activity; (4) the changes in biomes as a response to climate change; (5) the general trends of climate change for the last centuries as indicated by tree ring analysis; and (6) a discussion about climate change in the SSRB area.
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| Adaptation, adaptive capacity and vulnerability |
| | Smit, B. and J. Wandel, | 2006, | English |
| | This paper reviews the concept of adaptation of human communities to global changes, especially climate change, in the context of adaptive capacity and vulnerability. It focuses on scholarship that contributes to practical implementation of adaptations at the community scale. In numerous social science fields, adaptations are considered as responses to risks associated with the interaction of environmental hazards and human vulnerability or adaptive capacity. In the climate change field, adaptation analyses have been undertaken for several distinct purposes. Impact assessments assume adaptations to estimate damages to longer-term climate scenarios with and without adjustments. Evaluations of specified adaptation options aim to identify preferred measures. Vulnerability indices seek to provide relative vulnerability scores for countries, regions or communities. The main purpose of participatory vulnerability assessments is to identify adaptation strategies that are feasible and practical in communities. The distinctive features of adaptation analyses with this purpose are outlined, and common elements of this approach are described. Practical adaptation initiatives tend to focus on risks that are already problematic, climate is considered together with other environmental and social stresses, and adaptations are mostly integrated or mainstreamed into other resource management, disaster preparedness and sustainable development programs.
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| Climate Change Ecosystem and Water Resources: Modeling and Impact Scenarios for the South Saskatchewan River Basin |
| | Wittrock, V., E. Wheaton and S. Kulshreshtha, | 2005, | English |
| | The purpose of the paper is to describe the climate modeling used to develop climate change scenarios and to describe the ecosystem modeling used to develop ecosystem impact scenarios. The paper has three main subjects. First, selected climate change models and their resulting impact scenarios are reviewed. Second, several main ecosystem models and their scenarios are described with emphasis on water and vegetation issues. Finally, water use models are reviewed. The method to achieve these objectives is through a critical literature review with emphasis on the last five years of published information. The climate change sections include descriptions of emission scenarios, criteria for climate change scenarios, types of climate scenarios, the uncertainties of emission and climate scenarios and how well they work. The various types of scaling were also discussed.
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| Henry Black the Conservative Party and the Politics of Relief |
| | Marchildon, G and D. Black, | 2006, | English |
| | This article analyses the organization and management of the Saskatchewan Relief Commission, one of the most important institutional adaptations to the great droughts of the 1930s. In particular, the article highlights the sometimes dysfunctional relationship between the federal and provincial governments, both of which were Conservative, but both of which were attempting to limit their respective fiscal exposure in a human crisis without parallel in Canada in the 20th century.
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| Analysis of Environmental Vulnerablities Identified by Stakeholders in the Elqui River Valley with focus on Arthropods of Economical Importance |
| | Cepeda-Pizarro, J. and J. Pizarro-Araya, | 2006, | English |
| | Literature review showed a lack of relevant studies/publications on climate change effects on arthropod populations. Most of the information is too generalist or presumptive to get sound conclusions. In the case of this work, the present study sets a baseline upon which future trends may be envisioned. Locally, the thermal and moisture variability found in the arthropods’ habitat can apparently favor the outbreak of some species, such as has been shown by Fuentes and Campusano (1985) and Cepeda-Pizarro et al. (in peer review).
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| Caracterización Bio-Geo-Física de la Cuenca del Rió Elqui |
| | Cepeda, J., M. Feibig, C. Pérez, H. Trigos and H. Zavala, | 2005, | English |
| This document describes the main bio- and geophysical characteristics of the Elqui River Basin. The document is a monograph composed of different papers, all of them prepared by members of the IACC project in the Universidad de La Serena. These papers are: - Cepeda, J., M. Robles and R. Cabezas, “Una Descripcion General Biofisica de la Hoya Hidrografica del Rio Elqui (IV Region de Coquimbo, Chile),” describing the climate and vegetation of the ERB
- Cepeda, J., M. Robles and R. Cabezas, “Geomorfologia y Suelos de la Hoya Hidrografica del Rio Elqui (IV Region de Coquimbo, Chile),” containing a description of landforms and soils in the basin
- Fiebig-Wittmaak Melitta and Cesar Perez, “Aspectos Climatologicos del Valle del Elqui,” focusing on the climatologic aspects of the ERB
- Zavala, Humberto, Hernaldo Trigos, Ivan Munizaga, and Enrique Mall, “Hidrologia Cuenca Rio Elqui,” explaining the hydrological characteristics of the basin
- Cepeda, Jorge and Jorge Pizarro, “ Ecologica del Valle del Elqui,” describing the main characteristics of the basin’s ecology
- Fiebig-Wittmaak Melitta and Cesar Perez, “Eventos Catastroficos Naturales,” containing a discussion of the main natural hazards in the area.
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| Historical Chronology of the Oldman River Dam Conflict |
| | Daschuk, J. and G. Marchildon, | 2006, | English |
| | Responsible for about 30% of the total water flow in the SSRB, the Oldman River is important to Aboriginal people, particularly the Peigan First Nation, and farmers in southwest Alberta. This working paper provides a chronology of the various conflicts that have arisen over the diversion and use of the river over the past century, including: 1) the historical background to water management in Alberta, including irrigation that drew upon the Oldman River, from the late 19th century until the 1970s; 2) the opposition to the construction of a dam on the Oldman River by the Peigan First Nation and environmentalists since the 1970s; and 3) conflict since the dam’s construction in 1991–92.
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| | Marchildon, G., | 2006, | English |
| | This document analyses the enormous impact of the droughts and economic depression of the 1930s in terms of: 1) the economic development of Saskatchewan and the decline of the primacy of wheat growing; 2) the impact of depopulation of rural Saskatchewan; 3) the political platforms and programs of successive Saskatchewan governments after the 1930s; and 4) the collective psychology of Saskatchewan residents relative to Alberta residents today.
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| Data Time Series for Alberta Saskatchewan and Manitoba: 1) Economy and Demography; and 2) Agriculture |
| | Marchildon, C. and C. Anderson, | 2006, | English |
| | Annual data are collated so that comparisons can be made in terms of the demographic, economic and agricultural characteristics of each of the three prairie province over the last 100 years (1905–2005). Manitoba is used as a test case for changes in Alberta and Saskatchewan where the SSRB is located.
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| Water blues in climate change: The role of institutions in water conflicts and the challenges presented by climate change |
| | Rojas, A., B. Reyes, L. Magzul and H.L. Morales, | 2006, | English |
| | This paper explores the significance of studying water conflicts and the way institutions deal with them, as an important link to understanding community vulnerabilities to climate change. The study of the role of institutions in the resolution or management of (or failure to resolve or manage) water conflicts provides insights to understanding possible and actual institutional learning and needed adaptations to confront climate-change-induced water insecurities. The authors argue that the key aspect revealed by the examination of conflicts is the realization that power differentials in conflict resolution within communities and between communities and political organizations involved in water governance, may have hampered the adaptive capacity of all stakeholders. The institutions whose role is more relevant here are those involved in water governance. Their role in water conflicts and what they and the communities involved learn from conflicts provides the focus of the study. We also argue that conflict resolution can be adaptive or destructive. Paradoxically, in some conflicts elements of both types of outcomes can coexist and there will be winners and losers, who still may derive important lessons from the experience of conflict. In the case of water conflicts, the communities more directly exposed to hazardous conditions may experience internal strife and fragmentation and/or enter into conflict with some of the institutions involved in water governance. Institutions involved in water governance are those which most directly influence decision making and in the case of water governance, these are the government organizations responsible for water management and allocation, and the ample range of water users and beneficiaries and other civil society organizations that influence water use. Water conflicts are considered here within the wider stream of studies of environmental conflict resolution. Since water is an essential element to sustain life, many of the difficulties we encounter in maintaining the integrity of ecosystems and the wise use of natural resources are reproduced in the case of water, where interests are difficult to reconcile, particularly under conditions of water insecurity. Thus, we will often refer to water conflicts as a type of environmental conflict.
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| Vulnerabilidad y Adaptación Institucional frente al cambio climático en el Valle de Elqui: El caso de las localidades de Marquesa y Nueva Talcuna |
| | Salas Bravo, S., H.L.M. Zavala, E. Jiménez and R. Espinoza, | 2007, | English |
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| Outlook Workshop Summary Report |
| | Hadarits, M., | 2007, | English |
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| Lethbridge Workshop Summary Report |
| | Hadarits, M., | 2007, | English |
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| Hanna Workshop Summary Report |
| | Hadarits, M., | 2007, | English |
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| Report on the Blood Tribe (Kainai Nation): community vulnerabilites |
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| Report on the Community Vulnerability of Cabri and Stewart Valley |
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| Vulnerability of Prairie Communities During the 2001 and 2002 Droughts: Case Studies of Taber and Hanna Alberta and Outlook Saskatchewan |
| | Wittrock, V., S. Kulshthreshtha, E. Wheaton and M. Khakapour, | 2007, | English |
| | The major objective of this study was to investigate the impact of 2001 and 2002 droughts on the rural communities of Cabri and Stewart Valley in Saskatchewan with emphasis on water resources. These impacts were studied in the context of the communities, as well as in the context of the larger region—Rural Municipality of Riverside (No. 168 housing the community of Cabri) and Rural Municipality of Saskatchewan Landing (No. 167 housing the community of Stewart Valley). Drought impacts were assessed in terms of bio-physical changes as well as economic changes that were observed during the drought years.
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| Community Vulnerability in the South Saskatchewan River Basin: A Case Study of Hanna, Alberta |
| | Young, G. and J. Wandel, | 2007, | English |
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| Report on the Community Vulnerability of Pisco Elqui |
| | Morales, H.L., S. Salas, R. Espinoza and E. Jiménez, | 2007, | English |
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| Report on the Participatory Mapping Sessions (Cabri/Stewart Valley/Taber) |
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| Report on the Community Vulnerability of Outlook |
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| Report on the Community Vulnerability of Taber |
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| Descripcion Catograpgrafica de la Hoya Hidrografica del Rio Elqui |
| | Cabezas, R., J. Cepeda and A. Bodini, | 2007, | Español |
| | Se hace una descripción general de las principales características biofísicas de la hoya hidrográfica del Río Elqui (cuenca en adelante). Detalles de ellas se entregan en las secciones que vienen más adelante en este documento. La cuenca del Río Elqui tiene una superficie de 9.794 km2 y está ubicada en la región septentrional de la IV Región de Chile (29º 02’ a 32º 16’ S; 69º 45’a 71º 40’ O). El río Elqui tiene una longitud de ~170 km y fluye desde los Andes al Océano Pacífico. Sus tributarios principales en los Andes son los ríos Claro y Turbio; éstos aportan agua desde el norte, el sur y el este del territorio chileno, cerca de la frontera con Argentina. En este punto, las cimas existentes están cerca o sobre los 5.000 msnm, por lo cual el flujo es rápido y los cursos de agua están cargados de sedimentos, especialmente durante la época del derretimiento de la nieve. Los ríos tributarios Claro y Turbio presentan perfiles longitudinales pronunciados, con llanos aluviales estrechos. En oposición, los llanos y terrazas aluviales del Río Elqui son más anchos, tienen ~3 km cerca de la ciudad de Vicuña y 5-6 km en los últimos 25 km del curso del río. El clima es mediterráneo, fuertemente condicionado por la presencia del anticiclón de Pacífico, y transicional entre el clima más árido del norte de Chile y el clima más mésico del centro. Aunque la precipitación (incluyendo nieve) promedia alrededor de 100 mm anuales para toda la cuenca, este valor se puede duplicar o triplicar en los años ENOS. La precipitación anual es mayor en el sector andino de la cuenca. Aunque el promedio anual es cercano a los 200 mm, principalmente de carácter nival, se han observado valores tan altos como 740 mm, valor registrado en 1987, un año ENOS. Excepto por el sector andino donde la lluvia puede ocurrir durante el verano a consecuencia del invierno boliviano, los mayores niveles de precipitación ocurren en el período Abril a Septiembre (otoño-invierno en el hemisferio austral). La geología de la cuenca está caracterizada por la presencia dominante de rocas intermedias volcánicas calco-alcalinas de edad Mesozoica y Cenozoica, con intercalaciones de rocas sedimentarias. Estas rocas alojan depósitos hidrotermales de diferentes minerales, siendo el cobre, el oro y la plata los que han mantenido por años una minería intensiva. La actividad minera que ha dejado un legado de desechos y apilamientos de residuos que habitualmente son dejados en quebradas o cerca de tributarios desde donde son arrastrados en dirección a los cursos principales. El paisaje vegetacional se describe como una estepa arbustiva abierta, con una marcada zonación altitudinal, con vegetación ribereña en el borde de los cursos de agua. En los Andes, donde se acumula agua o ésta surte, existen humedales que congregan a gran parte de la fauna silvestre de la cuenca. Estos humedales también son usados como pasturas estacionales (veranadas), principalmente para la alimentación del ganado caprino. Sectores de la cuenca se encuentran bajo el sistema de propiedad conocido como comunidad agrícola, una forma de tenencia de la tierra remanente del pasado, pero aún vigente en la IV Región de Chile. Los comuneros viven de la crianza de cabras, agricultura de secano de subsistencia, fabricación de carbón vegetal y, últimamente, de la fabricación de objetos de artesanía. Después de la declinación de la minería, las principales actividades económicas practicadas en la cuenca del Río Elqui son la agricultura y el turismo. Los cultivos principales son, por área cultivada, chacras, forrajeras anuales y permanentes, frutales, hortalizas, viñas y parronales viníferos. Como consecuencia de la puesta en marcha del Tranque Puclaro, con una capacidad de 220 millones de m3, el uso de riego tecnificado y la incorporación de laderas, la actividad frutícola se ha fuertemente incrementado en los últimos años, principalmente para exportación. La actividad turística también ha aumentado fuertemente en estos últimos 15 años, en sus versiones de turismo rural, astronómico y ecoturismo.
A general description of biophysical features of the Elqui River basin is made in this section. Details are provided in the appropriate sections that follow in this document. The Elqui river basin extends for 9.794 km2 in the northern part of the Chilean IV Region (29º 02’ a 32º 16’ S; 69º 45’ a 71º 40’ O). The river flows from the Andean Mountains to the Pacific Ocean in a tract of ~170 km. Its tributaries, in the Andes, are the Claro and the Turbio rivers which drain from the north, south, and east of Chilean territory, close to the Chilean-Argentinean border. At this point, the Andean summits are close to or above 5.000 masl, by which flow is fast and watercourses are loaded with sediments, especially during snow melting. The Claro and Turbio rivers have a very pronounced longitudinal profile, with narrow alluvial plains. In contrast, the Elqui River plains and alluvial terraces are wider. They are close to 3 km near the Vicuña town, and 5-6 km along the last 25 km. Climate is Mediterranean, strongly conditioned by the Pacific anticyclone and transitional between that of northern Chile and the more mesic central part. Although yearly rainfall mean is near to 100 mm in the basin, this value can duplicate or triplicate in ENSO years. Yearly rainfall is higher in the Andean sector of the basin. Although the mean is close to 200 mm, mainly snow; observed values can be as high as 740 mm, recorded in 1987, an ENSO year. Except for the Andean sector, where rainfall can be recorded in summer as a consequence of incursions in the area of the “Bolivian winter”, most rainfall takes place between April and September (the southern hemisphere fall-winter). The geology of the Elqui basin is dominated by calc-alkaline volcanic rocks of Mesozoic and Cenozoic age, intercalated with sedimentary rocks. Rocks host hydrothermal ore deposits of a number of metals; among them, gold, silver, and copper, which have sustained an intensive mining. Years of mining have left a heritage of abandoned and piles of mineral wastes. The waste deposits are commonly located in creeks or close to tributary watercourses from there they can be eroded and reach the main river. The plant landscape of the basin is described as an open shrub steppe with a well marked altitudinal variation, with riparian vegetation in the border of watercourses. In the Andes, where water accumulates or comes to surface, wetlands can be present. These habitats congregate most of the wild fauna. These wetlands are also utilized as seasonal pastures for livestock feeding, mainly goats. Pieces of land in the basin are under the ownership of agricultural communities, a land property form often conceived as a residue of the past, but still present in the Chilean IV Region. People in the agricultural community live from goat raising, rainfed agriculture, coal making, and lately, from art-craft making. After the mining decrease, the main economic activities carried on in the Elqui River basin are agriculture and tourism. The main crops, by cultivated area, are field crops, annual and permanent forage crops, fruit trees, vegetables, and vines. As a result of the Puclaro Dam, with water storage capacity of 220 million of cubic meters, utilization of drip irrigation, and incorporation of hillsides as agricultural land, fruit growing has increased in the last years, mostly for export. Tourism, that has also increased in the last 15 years, is mainly represented by rural, astronomical, and ecotourism.
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| Construyendo Memorias E Identidades Compartidas: Análisis de los discursos sobre el pasado de la comunidad de Diaguitas. Valle de Elqui. IV región. |
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| Inter-jurisdictional Water Law—SSRB |
| | Hurlbert, M., | 2006, | English |
| | Canada’s water law evolves from many different sources and influences. It commenced with the riparian water laws of Britain, where laws developed on a case-by-case basis in a land of relative water abundance. This law was adopted in Canada but then modified by statute in respect of western Canada first by the Canadian government and later the provincial governments after the formation of the provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan and the Natural Resource Transfer Agreements of 1930. In the aftermath, Alberta and Saskatchewan water law and policy have diverged, yet in some federal lands in the provinces federal water law and policy remains in tact. Now a complex web of federal and provincial laws, institutions and policies apply to the South Saskatchewan River Basin running through Alberta and Saskatchewan along with interprovincial agreements and co-management institutions. Although the South Saskatchewan River is one continuous body of water, laws differ between Alberta and Saskatchewan. This is further complicated when laws relating both to quantity and also quality of water are examined. Although quantity and quality of water issues are interrelated ecologically and scientifically, the laws in relation to quantity and quality have very few connections. This paper will outline the constitutional framework of water law and provincial, federal and inter-provincial water institutions relating to both water quantity and quality. This review includes provincial statutes relating to water quantity and quality and principles of constitutional paramountcy and jurisdiction. Thereafter issues, discrepancies and conflicts will be identified and discussed as well as a plan for the future
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| Water Law in the South Saskatchewan River Basin |
| | Hurlbert, M., | 2006, | English |
| | The South Saskatchewan River Basin (“SSRB”) travels from the foothills of the Rockies in Alberta through Saskatchewan and back into southern Alberta. As a result, the water law relating to water quality and water allocation amongst competing uses is a mixture of Alberta (within the Alberta boundaries) and Saskatchewan (within the Saskatchewan boundaries) and a smattering of federal law in respect of federal lands and issues. This paper will review some of the pertinent legal rules respecting water allocation and quality in respect of the South Saskatchewan River Basin and conclude with a discussion of the most salient issues raised by this review. Canada’s water law evolves from many different sources and influences. It commenced with the riparian water laws of Britain, where laws developed on a case by case basis in a land of relative water abundance. This law was adopted in Canada but then modified by statute in respect of western Canada by firstly the Canadian government and later the provincial governments after the formation of the provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan and the Natural Resource Transfer Agreements of 1930. In the aftermath, Alberta and Saskatchewan water law and policy has diverged, yet in some federal lands in the provinces federal water law and policy remains in tact. Now a complex web of federal and provincial laws apply to the South Saskatchewan River Basin running through Alberta and Saskatchewan. Although the South Saskatchewan River is one continuous body of water, laws differ between Alberta and Saskatchewan. This is further complicated when laws relating both to quantity and also quality of water are examined. Although quantity and quality of water issues are interrelated ecologically and scientifically, the laws in relation to quantity and quality have very few connections
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| Methodological Framework for the Assessment of Governance Institutions |
| | Diaz, H. and A. Rojas, | 2006, | English |
| | This document was prepared to facilitate the methodological discussion on institutional assessment. Its purpose is to provide suggestions for a methodological framework for assessing governance institutions that operate in the area of management of water resources. It discusses the concept of institution, the nature of the formal institutions to be assessed, and the main dimensions of the assessment
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| Governance and Adaptation to Climate Change the Cases of Chile and Canada |
| | Corkal, D., P. Diaz and D. A. Gauthier, | 2006, | English |
| | It is becoming increasingly clear that despite all the mitigation efforts, the concentration of greenhouse gases will remain high for a long period of time. In this context the development of a proper adaptive capacity is a fundamental task to ensure that future generations will be able to cope with the new climatic conditions. One of the most important determinants of this adaptive capacity is the existence of adequate institutions. Their role in the development and strengthening of adaptive capacity is paramount. Strong and well organized institutions can support adaptation activities and reduce undue hardship and intolerable risk. The paper focuses on the potential contribution of governance institutions to address the challenges of climate change. Using the cases of Chile and Canada the paper discusses how different architectures of governance in the area of water resources could contribute to foster the development of a strong adaptive capacity in arid areas in Canada and Chile
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| Institutional Adaptation to Drought and the Special Areas of Alberta, 1909-1939 |
| | Marchildon, G, | 2007, | English |
| | The Special Areas Board is responsible for administrating approximately 2.1 million hectares (5.2 million acres) of sparsely populated and arid land in southeast Alberta known as the Special Areas. This article traces the history of the Special Areas from the influx of farmers through the incremental establishment of the Special Areas Board. Beginning in 1917, the Special Areas suffered from prolonged droughts. As a result, farmers and municipalities were bankrupted and schools and businesses were closed. The Special Areas Board was eventually established in order to purchase and sell farm land as well as relocate settlers in order to facilitate a transition from small grain farms to large ranches. The Board also administered schools and roads to meet the needs of a shrinking and more dispersed population and was responsible for the conservation of soil and water resources within its boundaries ..... | | Read more |
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| Drought and Institutional Adaptation in Alberta and Saskatchewan, 1914-1939 |
| | Marchildon, G., S. Kulshreshtha, E. Wheaton and D. Sauchyn, | 2007, | English |
| | Agriculture in the southern Great Plains of Canada has been particularly vulnerable to prolonged episodes of drought. Using climate data and a precipitation minus potential evapotranspiration index, the extent of the region’s exposure to drought is examined. Between 1914 and 1917, the Dry Belt was particularly vulnerable to drought, whereas after 1928, a much larger region known as the Palliser Triangle covering most of southern Alberta and Saskatchewan was much more exposed to drought. These droughts provoked major institutional adaptation, in particular the establishment of the Special Areas Board by the Government of Alberta, and the creation of the Prairie Farm Rehabilitation Administration by the Government of Canada. Both organizations have proved to be relatively permanent public adaptations to the natural hazard of drought in the region. Moreover, these earlier experiences with prolonged drought as well as institution-building may be of value in helping the residents of the Palliser Triangle adapt to predicted climate changes in the future as well as anticipate some of the barriers to effective institutional adaptation ..... | | Read more |
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| Vulnerability of Prairie Communities’ Water Supply During the 2001 & 2002 Droughts: A Case Study of Cabri and Stewart Valley, Saskatchewan |
| | Wittrock, V., D. Dery, S. Kulshreshthra and E. Wheaton, | 2006, | English |
| | The major objective of this study was to investigate the impact of 2001 and 2002 droughts on the rural communities of Cabri and Stewart Valley in Saskatchewan with emphasis on water resources. These impacts were studied in the context of the communities, as well as in the context of the larger region—Rural Municipality of Riverside (No. 168 housing the community of Cabri) and Rural Municipality of Saskatchewan Landing (No. 167 housing the community of Stewart Valley). Drought impacts were assessed in terms of bio-physical changes as well as economic changes that were observed during the drought years
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| The Case of Canada – Institutions and Water in the South Saskatchewan River Basin |
| | Corkal, D., B. Inch and P.E. Atkins (AAFC-PFRA), | 2007, | English |
| | Canadian society and culture are intricately linked to water. This paper provides an overview of the key institutions with some degree of interest in water resource management in Canada, and principally within the South Saskatchewan River Basin in Alberta and Saskatchewan. To better understand Canadian water institutions and their roles in water resource management, three driving factors are identified as key institutional drivers (forces that shape institutions and how they function): 1)Decentralization and shared jurisdictions 2)Sustainable development and integrated water resource management 3)Governance and the need for leadership and clearly focused federal, provincial and local roles. Canada is a federation with unique institutional arrangements for water resource management. In essence, the provinces have the mandate and authority to manage water resources. The federal role is limited and its involvement with the provinces often rests within targeted federal-provincial agreements. Local government has direct responsibility to protect and manage water resources. Because many levels of government and non-government organizations have a vested interest in water management, the shared jurisdictions are often seen as a complex network, where roles often overlap. Canada has evolved from the days when water management was driven by nation-building activities where water resources were harnessed and utilized for society's needs. In the 1980s, water management shifted from water development projects, to sustainable development and integrated water resource management. This change recognized the complex nature of water management for all of society, the economy and the environment. Increasing Canadian environmental awareness drove governments towards sustainable development approaches in managing water. The Government of Canada established the Federal Water Policy in 1987, as a result of the 1985 Inquiry on Federal Water Policy. This remains Canada's most current water policy, and it is recognized that not all of the recommendations were able to be acted upon. Waterborne disease outbreaks in drinking water during the period 2000 to 2005, have highlighted that water governance remains a challenge in Canada. After these outbreaks, water inquiries were instrumental in changing governance structures for water institutions across Canada. Semi-arid regions such as the Canadian prairie and the South Saskatchewan River Basin are particularly vulnerable to water and climate impacts. Over the years, Canadian institutions have adapted to increasing pressures caused by water and climate, placed on society and the environment. It is anticipated that future vulnerabilities caused by global warming and increasing competition for water will require future adaptations. The roles that institutions assume will also require adaptation. Water governance is always challenging and will become more complex in the future. Water and the environment are cross-cutting issues involving inter-disciplinary approaches, and the active participation of many institutional actors. All orders of government will need to find new ways of working together, within and between their own hierarchies. All orders of government will need to engage and empower all stakeholders, including citizens, industry and academia, with desired goals of making efficient and timely water resource management decisions, and of finding improved capacity to deal with water conflict and competing interests in water resources. Federal, provincial, and local roles and responsibilities for water resource management will need to become more clearly defined and focused, in order to truly achieve sustainable integrated water resource management
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| Water Governance Institutions in the South Saskatchewan River Basin |
| | | In order to deal with the complexity of water governance in Canada, where different forms of government and organization from the civil society are involved, the document is structured around different levels of governance, as it follows: (a) Government and civil society organizations at the federal level; (b) Inter Provincial; (c) Provincial and local government and civil society organizations in Alberta; and (d) Provincial and local government and civil society organizations in Saskatchewan. The information presented in the document is organized in four columns: (1) The first one corresponds to the name of the organization and the main purposes of the organization; (2) The second column refers to the role of the organization in water governance; (3) The third column describes the main links of the organizations with other organizations or with the community; and (4) The forth column describes the main instruments (acts, laws or mandates) of the organization. The document can be further developed adding additional organizations involved in water management. The information provided by this document has been obtained mostly from public and private websites and from documents produced by the IACC project and other researchers. These sources are identified at the end of the document. At the end of the document there is a list of the Acts that appear in the document with a short definition of each one of them. ..... | | Read more |
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| South Saskatchewan River Legal and Inter-jurisdictional Institutional Water Map |
| | Patiño, L. and D.A. Gauthier, | 2007, | English |
| | Derived mainly from Hurlbert, Margot. 2006b. Water Law in the South Saskatchewan River Basin. IACC Project working paper No. 27. The main purpose of the charts is to provide a visual representation of the relevant water legal and inter-jurisdictional institutions involved in the management, decision-making process and monitoring/enforcement of water resources (quality and quantity) in Saskatchewan and Alberta, at the federal, inter-jurisdictional, provincial and local levels. The charts do not intend to provide an extensive representation of all water legal and/or inter-jurisdictional institutions, nor a comprehensive list of roles and responsibilities, but rather to serve as visual tools that allow the observer to obtain a relatively prompt working understanding of the current water legal and inter-jurisdictional institutional structure existing in each province
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| Water Institutional Dynamic and Institutional Map in the South Saskatchewan River Basin |
| | Patiño, L. and D.A. Gauthier, | 2007, | English |
| | Derived mainly from Corkal, D. R., Inch, B. and P.E. Atkins (AAFC-PFRA). 2007. The Case of Canada – Institutions and Water in the South Saskatchewan River Basin. This working document maps the Federal principles and main instruments that affect the water institutional dynamic in the SSRB in chart format. The document also maps the Federal South Saskatchewan River institutional water in chart format, and provides a sample of some important institutions in the Saskatchewan institutional water map, SSRB. These charts do not intend to provide an extensive review, nor a comprehensive list of roles and responsibilities but rather to serve as visual tools that allow the observer to obtain a relatively prompt working understanding of the current federal principles and main instruments of the existing water institutional structure in the SSRB
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| The Role of Institutions in the Resolution of Water Conflict: Adaptive Conflict Resolution, Vulnerability and Adaptive Capacity |
| | Rojas, A., B. Reyes, L. Magzul, H.L. Morales, R. Borquez and E. Swartz, | 2007, | English |
| | This paper reports on one component of a larger international collaborative initiative on Institutional Adaptation to Climate Change (IACC) which seeks to understand the capacity of institutions in dry-land regions to adapt to climate change (Diaz et al 2004). One important goal of the IACC Project is to explore case studies of water conflicts as examples of situations of stress or crisis, in which water governing institutions and communities engaged in the conflict may have gained or lost the capacity to adapt to climate change impacts, and therefore contribute to the increase or decrease of the vulnerability of those communities. Institutions involved in water governance are those who most directly influencing decision-making including the government organizations responsible for water management and allocation, and the ample range of water users and beneficiaries and other civil society organizations influencing water use. Water scarcity and increasing droughts resulting from climate change are expected to increase the frequency and intensity of water conflicts (Diaz et al 2004). How these conflicts are managed and resolved, may increase the vulnerability to climate change-related water scarcities of the communities involved in the conflicts. Or, the outcome of the conflict may improve the communities’ adaptive capacity, reducing their vulnerability. Our research on Adaptive Conflict Resolution (ACR) has identified eight specific principles and criteria for conflict resolution that institutions involved in water governance and communities can use to improve their adaptive capacity to face water scarcity. This paper focuses on the description of the Adaptive Conflict Resolution and vulnerability-adaptive capacity framework, which has guided the actual case studies. The framework presented here can be applied in a wide range of conflicts as a learning tool about the adaptive capacity of institutions that partake in conflict
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Analysis of the Role of Institutions in Water Conflicts Final Report
Análisis del Rol de las Instituciones en los Conflictos del Agua Informe Final |
| | Rojas, A., B. Reyes, L. Magzul, H. L. Morales, R. Borquez and E. Swartz, | 2007, | English/Español |
| | This report describes and explains the importance of the study of water conflicts and how institutions address them in order to understand the exposures experienced by communities, their adaptive capacity and their vulnerabilities to climate change. The authors start with the premise that one of the key aspects revealed by the study of water conflicts is that power differential among the stakeholders in the resolution of the conflicts (for example, the rural communities and the political organizations that govern water resources) may increase the exposure of the communities and stakeholders, negatively affect their capacity and increase their vulnerability to climate change impacts. We seek to understand whether an institution’s involvement in a water conflict increases or decreases its capacity to guide communities in their efforts to adapt to climate change impacts, and therefore, directly influencing the level of vulnerability of those communities. To address this specific objective, we analyzed three cases studies of water conflicts: the Oldman River Dam, in Canada (South Saskatchewan River Basin), and the Puclaro Dam (Coquimbo region) and the Pascua Lama project, in Chile
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| | Salas, S. and E. Jimenez, | 2007, | Español |
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| Ethics of Climate Change: Adopting an Empirical Approach to Moral Concern |
| | | Climate change scenarios present a type of complexity that are problematic when engaged in related ethical deliberation and theorizing. The first part of this paper examines the problem of complexity as it undermines our ability to utilize justificatory frameworks to prescribe courses of action. The second part of this paper attempts to sketch an approach to ethical deliberation that better handles the complex concerns that arise in such situations, referring to an inter-disciplinary research project, Institutional Adaptations to Climate Change, as an example. Given the nature of the paper, the position taken is more programmatic than substantive
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| Values Analysis of Ethnographic Stakeholder Responses: Report on Cabri-Stewart Valley and the Blood Reserve |
| | Morito, B and A. Thachuk, | 2006, | English |
| | This paper complements “Value and Ethical Analysis in Vulnerability to Climate Change: Establishing an Analytic Framework for Identifying, Classifying and Evaluating Vulnerability Issues” (April, 2005). Much of theoretical background for what I am calling “values analysis” has been articulated in that paper. The task there was to develop a value analytic approach to stakeholder vulnerability. For this paper, the task is to develop a value analytic approach to identifying and assessing institutional capacities to adapt to climate change in light of stakeholder vulnerabilities. It is written as a companion paper to the H. Diaz, A. Rojas, Richer and S. Jeannes paper, “Institutions and Adaptive Capacity to Climate Change” (2005) and the H. Diaz and A. Rojas, “Methodological Framework for the Assessment of Governance Institutions” (March 2006). There are two major sources of information regarding (formal) institutional values: 1) documentation (internal and external) such as mandates, mission statements and to some extent, policies; 2) practices of the institutions and their agents. The differences between stakeholder and institutional value analysis are marked by 1) more explicit and well defined value and ethical commitments for institutions, owing to the documentation and publically identifiable practices, 2) role differentiated responsibilities of institutional agents that limit what values they are free to exercise
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| Future Hydroclimate Scenarios for the Prairie Provinces |
| | Lapp, S. and Sauchyn, D, | 2007, | English |
| | This paper investigates long-term trends and variability in hydroclimate using the Climate Moisture Index (CMI): precipitation (P) minus potential evapotranspiration (PET), as modeled by the Third Generation of the Canadian Climate Model (CGCM 3.1) and reconstructed for Medicine Hat back to 1723 using tree rings from the Cypress Hills. Three SRES climate change scenarios show an expanding aridity zone in the southern Prairies reaching further into Manitoba. B1 forecasts the worst case scenario with nearly one-third of the Prairie region below the moderate aridity index by the 2080’s. The duration and number of drought events remains relatively similar under the A1b scenario but duration increases for both A2 and B1 scenarios. The standardized tree-ring chronologies were used to assess the GCM’s ability to model past climate and drought conditions. Drought events were classified as extreme and moderate, using the 10th and 25th percentiles, of the 1961-1990 CMI baseline period to compare drought events between the past climate and future climate scenarios. The pre-industrial control model appears to model more drought events at shorter durations than observed in the reconstructed CMI for Medicine Hat. On the other hand, there is larger range of drought duration in the proxy record suggesting that the GCM does not simulate some droughts of very long durations (> 10 years). At timescales great than 8 years model simulations for the 20th Century reproduces a similar pattern to the observed data. These patterns appear to follow the PDO signal, switching from a positive phase in 1947 to negative and again positive in 1977. This teleconnection between positive PDO phases and dry periods on the prairies has been well documented. Future climate variability follows a similar pattern but with a trend towards increasingly negative P-PET (i.e. increasing aridity). Further analysis will incorporate other methods of computing potential evapo-transpiration, multiple GCM’s, and more tree-ring chronologies from our network spanning a large of the Alberta and Saskatchewan
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| Vulnerability and Adaptation in a Dryland Community of the Elqui Valley, Chile |
| | Young, G., B. Smit, H. Zavala, M. Fiebig, J. Wandel, S. Salas, E. Jimenez, R. Espinoza, J. Cepeda and P. Diaz, | 2006, | English |
| | Livelihoods in drylands are already challenged by the demands of climate variability, and climate change is expected to have further implications for water resource availability in these regions. This paper characterizes the vulnerability of an irrigation-dependent agricultural community located in the Elqui River Basin of Northern Chile to water and climate-related conditions in light of climate change. The paper documents the exposures and sensitivities faced by the community in light of current water shortages, and identifies their ability to manage these exposures under a changing climate. The IPCC identifies potentially increased aridity in this region with climate change; furthermore, the Elqui River is fed by snowmelt and glaciers, and its flows will be affected by a warming climate. This case study highlights the need for adaptation to maintain livelihoods in the region. Community vulnerability occurs within a broader physical, economic, political and social context, and vulnerability in the community varies amongst occupations, resource uses and accessibility to water resources, making some more susceptible to changing conditions in the future ..... | | Read more |
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| A Microscopic and Chemical Study of Airborne Coarse Particles with Particular Reference to Sea Salt in Chile at 30° S |
| | Fiebig-Wittmaack, M., E. Schultz, A. María Córdova and C. Pizarro, | 2006, | English |
| | Along a transect ranging from the Pacific to the summit of Cerro Tololo at 2200 m above sea level (a.s.l.) in Chile at 30 °S, coarse particle concentration was measured at three sites in a one-year study from December 2002 to 2003. The climate of this area is characterized by semi-arid conditions. Intensive thermally induced valley winds occurring particularly in summer, possibly transporting polluted air masses form the coastal area into the mountain region. This may question the background characteristics of Cerro Tololo as suitable site in Chile for a monitoring station of the Global Atmospheric Watch (GAW) program. Particle sampling by a passive sampling technique was employed to analyze composition of particles, find out effective sources and trace possible transport of suspended particles in this area. Temporal resolution of sampling was one week. Composition and size distribution of weekly deposition samples were determined by microscopic single particle analysis and bulk ionchromatographic analysis. Coarse particle concentration decreases differently along the transect as a function of occurring sources and depending on reactivity of components. The percentage of a black particle component remains at the same level of about 4% at all the three sites, confirming biomass burning as a wide-spread pollution. The percentage of sea salt, by contrast, amounts on average about 50% of total coarse particle concentration at the coastal area, quickly decreasing to about 10% along the transect due to losses by particle deposition and chemical reaction during transport. Ammonium shows a different behaviour, characterized by enhanced values at the central part of the transect, due to emissions from agricultural activities in this area. A shift in size distribution between the different sites is explained not only by gravitational fractionation but also by chemical conversion during transport. As a result, it is concluded that an impact of contaminated air at Cerro Tololo cannot be ruled out at a low level particularly in summer. However, the amount, composition and size distribution of the coarse fraction rather confirms the pristine area characteristics of Cerro Tololo and its background conditions ..... | | Read more |
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| Participatory Mapping to Assess Institutional Vulnerability and Adaptation to Climate Change |
| | Patiño, L., and D.A. Gauthier, | 2006, | English |
| | This paper develops a Public Participatory Geographic Information System (PPGIS) model to integrate the multiple dimensions of sustainability (i.e., social, economic and biophysical) as well as the co-existence of multiple realities in the assessment of the vulnerability of rural communities to climate change. Within the context of climate change and adaptation science, this study recognizes the potential advantages of a consciously planned response to facilitate the adaptation process to the impacts of climate change. By comprising an integrated approach, this model represents a contribution for the development of strategies and policies flexible enough to include local knowledge, values and conditions and information derived from both qualitative and quantitative modes of inquiry
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| Community Vulnerability to Climate Change in the Elqui River Basin, Chile. (M.Sc. Thesis, University of Guelph) |
| | | This research characterizes nature of vulnerability through a case study of a dryland community in the Elqui River Basin located in North Central Chile. The study is focused on water resources in light climate change and the role of institutions with respect to mitigating community vulnerability through the use of adaptive strategies and capacity. Interviews, focus groups and participant observation were used to gain insights of the community, institutions and stakeholders. Questions were designed to develop an understanding of the problematic conditions (exposures) faced by the community and coping mechanisms (adaptive strategies) in place to deal with the conditions. In addition, secondary sources and research collaboration were essential tools in developing context, validation and determining the likelihood of future exposures and vulnerabilities. The case study highlights that the exposures faced by the community stem from multiple scales and influences. In turn, vulnerability varied between community members and cohorts within the community. Although the community is a dryland area, water-related exposures were not strongly identified; rather social changes were frequently identified. With respect to the role of institutions, their role was greater for agri-business and much weaker for community members ..... | | Read more |
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| Local Institutions and Adaptation to Climate-Induced Water Problems, World Water Congress, Montpellier, France |
| | | In spite of the growing consensus regarding global warming and its impact upon water resources, there is still a limited understanding of the adaptive process of human communities to climate stressors. The IPCC argues that the existence of a regional adaptive capacity—the ability and predisposition to use and develop local and regional resources in the pursuit of adaptation—is fundamental for the sustainability of communities in climate change. This paper discusses the roles that local formal and informal institutions play in fostering the adaptive capacity of a set of rural communities in the semi-arid regions of Canada and Chile. The discussion is based on the initial results of a set of vulnerability assessments of rural communities in northern Chile and western Canada. The results indicate the existence of a community adaptive capacity to climate variability and extreme climate events in both countries. This adaptive capacity, however, is limited given the severity of the expected impacts of climate change.
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| Canadian Legal Framework of Water and Governance in the Prairie Provinces Critical Analysis of Adaptation to Climate Change, World Water Congress, Montpellier, France |
| | Hurlbert, M., | 2008, | English |
| | This paper will outline, compare and contrast the jurisprudential framework of water law and water institutions in Canada against the construction of the governance and rules surrounding water by Canadian citizens, water stakeholders, and institutional employees. The premise of this research is critical legal pluralism, the difference between the jurisprudential positivist view of the law as based on precedent and well established objective legal rules versus the view of law as an institution and practice established and constituted by people, practices and decisions made in a fluid, dynamic, and every changing manner. In the arid prairies, and specifically Saskatchewan and Alberta, water is necessary for supporting not only agriculture, but also industrial considerations, and leisure and domestic use. These multiple uses compete for water in times of scarcity. As such characteristics of both less developed and most developed countries are existent in this region of Canada. This region of Canada has had significant droughts over the past hundred years and is expected to suffer from periods of water shortage or conversely water overabundance as a result of climate change in the future. In assessing the area’s ability to adapt to climate change, it is critical that vulnerabilities be identified. Vulnerabilities include the inability of social structures, such as the legal structure and framework of water, to respond to unforeseen, new circumstances. In the face of these competing demands, Canada’s water law evolves over hundred of years from many different sources and influences including the riparian water laws of Britain, where laws developed on a case by case basis in a land of relative water abundance. This archaic and rigid water law has been modified and adapted (to a certain extent) to meet the needs of the western Canadian situation; however, many rules and principles remain. The objective of this research is to compare water law and governance in Saskatchewan and Alberta, as found and evidenced in statutes, legal rules and norms (and interpreted by the legal profession) and compare and contrast this with water governance as practiced by the water community, stakeholders and citizens affected.
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| An Analysis of Trends Related to the Adaptation of Water Law to the Challenge of Climate Change: experiences from Canada, Klima 2008 |
| | Hurlbert, M., | 2008, | English |
| | In the arid Canadian Prairies, and specifically Saskatchewan and Alberta, water is necessary for supporting not only agriculture, but also competing uses of industry, leisure and domestic use. This region of Canada has had significant droughts over the past hundred years and will continue to experience them as a result of climate change). As a result this area’s water law has historically been adapted first by the federal government and later successive provincial governments with citizen and stakeholder input. This article focuses on the adaptive capacity of the institution of water law and water governance in this region through the examination of several water conflict case studies in the last decade. Vulnerability to climate change is determined by exposure of a system to climate change stress and the system’s adaptive capacity. A key determinant of adaptive capacity is institutional capacity. Water law is a formal institution and water governance, an often informal institution with significant linkages yet variations to water law. Although formal legal rules provide an important social structure of some permanency, in times of real water scarcity, the real actions of agents as they make decisions and negotiate the institution of water governance, is a rich study of institutional adaptive capacity. These case studies illustrate the changing institution of water governance and provide insight into important modifications in the institution of water law which will increase adaptive capacity and are also consistent with the literature respecting adaptive policies. Important implications for future water law are evident and will be outlined.
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| Responding to Climate Change - Adaptive Water Governance, Klima 2008 |
| | Hurlbert, M., | 2008, | English |
| | Water governance is experiencing a transformation. A new model of water governance, responding to climate change, and embracing principles of sustainable development, through community participation and shared responsibility is evolving. This model replicates the user-based model of water governance endorsed by many international water experts. This paper will explain, outline and critique three models, user-based management, government agency management and a market-based management system and illustrate how aspects of each are adopted by the Western Canadian provincial governments for managing water resources. In assessing these models based on the principles of adaptive policy making, accountability, participation in decisions by all stakeholders, predictability, transparency, and decentralization, the user based management model is superior. However, best practices support a combination of the three models and a balance depending on the biophysical water resource and community needs.
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| Governance Institutions and Community Vulnerabilities to Climate-Induced Water Stress – Case Studies in Canada and Chile, World Water Congress, Montpellier, France |
| | Corkal, D. and M. Hurlbert, | 2008, | English |
| | This paper focuses on water governance and presents a portion of the findings of a larger comparative study of institutional adaptation to climate change or water scarcity in the South Saskatchewan River Basin of western Canada and the Elqui River Basin in northern Chile, two large, regional, dryland water basins with significant irrigated agricultural production. The paper links the community vulnerability paper of Diaz to an assessment of the adaptation capacity of water institutions assessed through primary and secondary research of key representatives from relevant institutions with a water governance mandate. The goal of the study was to develop a systematic, integrated and comprehensive understanding of the capacities of institutions to formulate and implement strategies of adaptation to climate change risks and the forecasted impacts of climate change on the supply and management of water resources in dryland environments. The objectives of this portion of the study were to identify the role of governance institutions in mediating locallevel adaptations to climate and water stress, to assess the capacity of formal institutions to change and make necessary institutional adaptations so that the governance arrangements will be better-equipped to address future vulnerabilities, and to investigate and improve the understanding of the interface among governance institutions in addressing these vulnerabilities. The methodological approach was based on the concept of vulnerability as a function of both the exposure (or sensitivity) and adaptive capacity of a system to respond to stress from multiple exposures including environmental, social, economic and political factors. Effective tools are thus aimed at addressing all of these factors, also known as “mainstreaming.” Community level vulnerability assessments incorporating both social and natural science insights have been conducted in various contexts in Canada and internationally, but there are few examples of integrating community-level vulnerability assessments into policy in a meaningful way. Water governance in Chile is defined in the national constitution. A principle driver of water management relates to water rights as a market commodity. This affects the capacity of formal governance institutions to address water conflict and competing demands. In contrast, water is not mentioned in the Canadian constitution. Water management is the mandate of Canadian provinces, but roles are often shared between multiple orders of government (federal-provincial-local). The plethora of government organizations each of which claim to have some role in water management, are not always clear, are sometimes confusing and can be difficult to manage, creating challenges for regional and local decision-makers. While the governance models in Canada and Chile come from different paradigms, future climate-induced water stresses are expected to require future institutional adaptations to address community vulnerabilities. Flexibility, timely decision-making and clarity of roles will be necessary by all orders of government, and will need to recognize increasing efforts towards proactive integrated water resource management approaches. Based on the research to date, this paper will conclude with its findings of the institutional capacity to adapt to water scarcity or climate change predictions for the area and with policy recommendations for the future to improve adaptive capacity.
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| Governance Institutions and Community Vulnerabilities to Climate-Induced Water Stress (Poster), World Water Congress, Montpellier, France |
| | Corkal, D. and M. Hurlbert, | 2008, | English |
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| Canadian Agriculture and Water, World Water Congress, Montpellier, France |
| | Corkal, D. and P. Adkins, | 2008, | English |
| | Canada is a unique country with a large land base and plentiful water resources. In spite of these factors, Canada is experiencing water shortages and issues related to water quality. The majority of Canada’s population resides in the south, while most of Canada’s water supplies flow northward. Increasing competition is occurring for available water resources. Agriculture is a dominant economic player in most southern regions across the country, and is clearly affected by climate and available water resources. Droughts are of particular concern to dryland and irrigated agricultural production in semi-arid regions. The myth of abundance of Canada’s water supplies is being replaced by a realization that existing water supplies are not limitless, especially where the high demands are. Existing water availability is expected to be impacted even more so by climate change. Over the past 25 years, water management in Canada has evolved from a water supply development focus to a sustainable development focus. Integrated water resource management approaches are now being applied in the management of water, land and agricultural resources. The federal Department of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada established an Agricultural Policy Framework in 2003 in which the environment was identified as one of five key pillars. Agri-environmental programming has been driven from the need to protect air, water, land and biodiversity in Canada. This paper provides an overview of the evolution of federal-provincial agri-environmental programming and associated linkages with water. Agri-environmental programming has proven to be popular with the sector and the Canadian public. Much of the environmental programming undertaken by federal and provincial agricultural departments across Canada has been driven from the perspective of adopting agricultural beneficial management practices (BMPs) to conserve water supplies and safeguard source water quality in the environment, and to better adapt to climatic effects on natural resources. The agricultural sector has contributed significant time and resources to adopting BMPs that protect water resources and the environment. Programs where the agricultural sector and producers learn how to develop their own environmental farm plans have proven to be useful to individual farms and farm groups, making the sector an active participant in integrated water resource management within local watersheds. Continued research is needed to better understand the environ-mental and watershed effects of agricultural BMP adoption, and the associated costs. On-going dialogue is needed between the agricultural sector and the Canadian public to better understand and value the societal benefits of agricultural beneficial management practices.
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| Coping with Change - Family Camp at the Shoal Lake Cree Nation, In: Oakes, J., Riewe, R. Cogswell, A. (Eds.) Sacred Landscapes, Aboriginal Issues Press, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, pp. 30-41. |
| | Pittman, J., E. Cook, P. Diaz and D. Sauchyn, | 2009, | English |
| | With the wide range of socio-economic-environmental impacts climate change will bring, community adaptation is essential. Many communities already employ strategies to manage the impacts of change. The importance of including local perspectives in the design and implementation of adaptation measures is becoming widely recognized (Tschakert 2007, Paavola and Adger 2006). This paper examines one such strategy, Family Camp at the Shoal Lake Cree Nation, and identifies ways that this strategy increases the community’s capacity to cope with change.
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| Values Analysis and Institutional Adaption to Climate Change |
| | | This paper complements “Value and Ethical Analysis in Vulnerability to Climate Change: Establishing an Analytic Framework for Identifying, Classifying and Evaluating Vulnerability Issues” (April, 2005). Much of theoretical background for what I am calling “values analysis” has been articulated in that paper. The task there was to develop a value analytic approach to stakeholder vulnerability. The task for this paper is to develop a value analytic approach to identifying and assessing institutional capacities to adapt to climate change in light of stakeholder vulnerabilities. It is written as a companion paper to the H. Diaz, A. Rojas, Richer and S. Jeannes paper, “Institutions and Adaptive Capacity to Climate Change” (2005) and the H. Diaz and A. Rojas, “Methodological Framework for the Assessment of Governance Institutions” (March 2006). The open-ended and empirical approach for which the paper argues identifies two major sources of information regarding (formal) institutional values: 1) documentation (internal and external) such as mandates, mission statements and to some extent, policies; 2) practices of the institutions and their agents. It proceeds on the assumption that differences between stakeholder and institutional value analysis are marked by 1) more explicit and well defined value and ethical commitments for institutions, owing to the documentation and publically identifiable practices, 2) role differentiated responsibilities of institutional agents that limit what values they are free to exercise. Evaluation of institutional adaptive capacity from the perspective of values analysis is to be based on: 1) an examination of consistency between an institution’s avowed or explicit value commitments and stakeholder value profiles; 2) an institution’s explicit value commitments and implicit (as reflected in its practices) value commitments. At a broader level, it is suggested that three arguably near universal normative principles can be invoked to provide a second-order values analysis: 1) the harm principle; 2) giving what is due; 3) principles revolving around the virtues of honesty/trustworthiness.
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| Groundwater in the Canadian Prairies: Trends and Long-term Variability (M.A.Sc. Thesis, University of Regina) |
| | Pérez Valdivia, C., | 2009, | English |
| | Groundwater could be an increasingly important water supply in the Canadian interior with global warming and declining summer runoff; however, not enough is known about the behaviour of groundwater under climatic variability. A network of over 33 wells is analyzed in order to document variability of groundwater levels and their sensitivity to climatic events. Groundwater wells are spread through the three Prairie Provinces with median monthly groundwater level records spanning up to 40 years. The aquifers are mostly in sand and sandstone which make them highly sensitive to climatic variations. In addition, these wells have not been affected by human activities such as pumping. Multiple analyses, such as the Mann-Kendall non parametric test to detect trends in groundwater levels, are carried out in order to determine and understand the dynamics of groundwater in the Prairie Provinces. Strong correlations (r > 0.7, p < 0.01) between treering chronologies and seasonal and annual groundwater levels enable the reconstruction of 11 annual groundwater level records for more than 90 years in Saskatchewan and more than 300 year in Alberta. Results of the application of the Mann-Kendall trend test suggest that groundwater levels in north central areas show either no or decreasing trend, in contrast, groundwater levels in southern areas are dominated by increasing trend. The spatial distribution of trends coincides with increasing and decreasing trends in evaporation during the warm season. The reconstructions of historical groundwater levels suggest that the range of variability in water levels is greater than the variability recorded in the instrumental period. Also, the magnitude and duration of impacts of historical droughts on groundwater vary between different aquifers. Results of spectral analysis suggest that oscillation modes at ~10, ~15, ~20, and ~25 years explain most of the variability in groundwater in Alberta and Saskatchewan.
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| The Vulnerability of the James Smith and Shoal Lake First Nations to Climate Change and Variability (M.Sc. Thesis, University of Regina) |
| | | First Nations communities, especially those dependent on natural resources, will be faced with the challenge of adapting to changing climate. This thesis identifies the existing sensitivities and coping capacities to climate and other external stressors of two Saskatchewan First Nation communities, James Smith and Shoal Lake. Following the vulnerability approach, the thesis documents and discusses the current and past exposures and adaptive capacities of the two communities. These communities were selected based on their location within the transition from grassland to boreal forest, a natural region in northern Saskatchewan expected to undergo drastic changes in the future due to climate change. A broad range of social, biophysical, environmental, economic and institutional stressors are found in these two First Nations communities. It is not these conditions in isolation that are beneficial or problematic; it is the combination of conditions that creates a context for vulnerability. James Smith First Nation is challenged with adapting to climate change while having multiple band governments operating on one reserve and diamond mine developments encroaching on traditional lands. Shoal Lake First Nation has fewer adaptation options due to its location on marginal land for forestry and agriculture and limited opportunities for youth. Both communities will be presented with many opportunities and challenges. Their ability to effectively respond depends largely on current initiatives that build capacity to deal with future stresses.
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| The Sensitivity and Adaptability of the Grape and Wine Industry in the Maule Region of Chile to Climate Change (M.Sc. Thesis, University of Guelph |
| | Hadarits, M., | 2009, | English |
| | This paper examines the sensitivity and adaptability of the Chilean grape and wine industry to climate change in the context of other stresses via a case study in the Maule Region. The research was conducted using a vulnerability approach, which is based on the empirical documentation of exposures and adaptive capacity. Key informant interviews, semi-structured interviews and a focus group were used as the primary data sources. The climatic exposures to which growers and producers are exposed include wet springs, spring frosts, wet falls, high growing season temperatures, and drought. These exposures were placed in the context of other conditions, including market price, currency fluctuations, national and international rules and regulations, and labour availability. The Maule Region has not developed extensive suites of adaptation strategies because the grower- and producer-identified exposures have not yet threatened their operations’ viability. Future climate change may be beneficial and accommodate the cultivation of new varieties. However, many of the climatic exposures are projected to be exacerbated into the future, and the adaptive strategies currently used may not be effective into the future. The national government, a lack of education and market uncertainty hinder the industry’s ability to manage exposures.
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| Institutional Values and Adaptive Capacity to Climate Change |
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| Adapting to Impacts of Climatic Extremes: Case Study of the Kainai Blood Indian Reserve, Alberta |
| | Wittrock, V., S. Kulshreshtha, L. Magzul and E. Wheaton, | 2008, | English |
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| Assessments of Vulnerabilities of Rural Communities The Case of the South Saskatchewan River Basin (SSRB), Canada |
| | Hadarits, M. and J. Wandel, | 2009, | English |
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| Integration Report Canada |
| | Diaz, H. et al., | 2009, | English |
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| Informes de Integración Canadá |
| | Diaz, H. et al., | 2009, | Español |
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| | Reyes, B. et al., | 2009, | English |
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| Informes de Integración Chile |
| | Reyes, B. et al., | 2009, | Español |
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| Chile Water Governance Assessment Final Report |
| | Reyes, B., S, Salas, E. Schwartz, E. Espinoza., L. Morales, | 2009, | English |
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| Saskatchewan Water Governance Assessment Final Report |
| | Diaz, H., M. Hurlbert, J. Warren and D. R. Corkal, | 2009, | English |
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| | Diaz, H. et al., | 2010, | English |
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| Vulnerabilidad al cambio climatico en comunidades de la cuenca del rio elqui-Chile |
| | Salas, S., E. Jimenez, R. Espinoza, and H.L. Morales, | 2010, | Español |
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