A group of UNBC researchers are about to begin work on the third phase of a research project with the goal of “enhancing readiness for comprehensive responses to the dynamic relationships between climate, water and communities within the Nechako River Basin.”
Dr. Phil Owens, Dr. Eduardo Martins, Research Manager Bruno Sobral, Dr. Stephen Déry and Dr. Margot Parkes, Integrated Watershed Research Group (IWRG), have just secured $800,000 to continue their work.
Half of the money comes from the Nechako Environmental Enhancement Fund (NEEF), the other half came from “other sources,” according to the University.
In a release, the University said the IWRG’s prior work includes “analyzing the impact of observed climate change on water temperature and streamflow volumes in the Nechako River; to studying the impact of land use change and wildfires on river sediment sources and sediment quality; to the development and use of a web-based portal by watershed partners highlighting overlapping environment, community and health issues and encouraging integrative approaches to decision-making about the watershed.”
“Our research and events such as the 2021 summer heat dome and autumn land-falling atmospheric rivers experienced in B.C. and the 2023 summer drought conditions and associated wildfire activity are showing us the global climate crisis is a cross-cutting driver of watershed change,” says Dr. Stephen Déry. “It is clear to our team that an interdisciplinary approach remains essential to addressing the complex interactions among climate change, land use, watershed dynamics and ecological approaches, all of which have far-reaching implications for the communities living in the Nechako River Basin.”
For more information on the project, click here.