How will climate change affect Alberta, and the Red Deer River basin?

Dr. Anil Gupta from the Environmental Knowledge and Prediction Branch of Alberta Environment and Protected Areas (EPA) gave a special presentation to the Red Deer River Watershed Alliance (RDRWA) on January 13th, 2023 on Climate Change in Alberta as it relates to the Red Deer River watershed.

In his presentation, Dr. Gupta highlighted evidence-based observed changes in hydro-climatic regimes in Alberta such as increases in temperature (particularly in winter), earlier snow melting and more frequent rain-on-snow driven events and associated flooding, decrease in snow accumulation and summer flow, and increased frequency and magnitude of extreme events like floods, fires and droughts.

Dr. Gupta also outlines evolving climate change science and global efforts to limit the Global Mean Temperature (GMT) to +1.5 degrees Celsius. Understanding Alberta’s vulnerability to climate change, and its associated potential impacts on water availability, water quality and terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems will be critical to Alberta’s climate change mitigation and adaptation strategy.

View the presentation on YouTube here.

Video edits complements of Emily Rittammer.