CPRC's involvement in research projects is designed to further its
mandate to facilitate transdisciplinary research and address research issues
relevant to the Canadian Plains. Projects tend to involve multiple partners
with research opportunities for graduate students and research assistants.
The listing below focuses on descriptions of current projects. Past
projects are listed on our “History” page.
Coming Down the Mountain: Understanding the Vulnerability of Andean
Communities to hydroclimatologic variability and Global Environmental
Change
Funded by the InterAmerican Institute Small Grants Program on Human
Dimensions, this two- year study (2007- 2009) is examining the
capacities of selected water governance institutions in specific
watershed basins in three countries to address vulnerabilities
associated with climate change impacts on water resources. This
project integrates social sciences to on- going physical science
research conducted in the region. In doing so, the results of this
research are intended to add a human dimension and build and
strengthen a regional network of research on climate change by
linking natural and social sciences. Also, the project will enhance
policy design and climate adaptation strategies to contribute to the
development of regional and national policies on climate change. The
project focuses on vulnerability at the level of Andean watershed
basins for which there are substantive concerns around climate change
impacts on agriculture and water resources and the capacity of their
institutions to deal with those impacts. Specific objectives are: (1)
To identify and characterize the vulnerabilities of specific actors
and settings to climate variability and climate- induced water
problems. (2) To evaluate the policies and capacities of water
governance institutions to reduce these actors and settings’
vulnerabilities. (3) To analyze the results of the two previous
objectives in the context of regional climate change scenarios and
future hydrological setting. The project uses a multidisciplinary
approach to address climate change and development linkages related
to governance, land and water issues, adaptation to climate change,
and policies and programs oriented to include climate change in
development programming.
Institutional Adaptations to Climate Change: Comparative Study of Dryland River Basins in Canada and Chile
The Institutional Adaptation to Climate Change (IACC) project is funded by a grant from the Major Collaborative Research Initiatives (MCRI) program of the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) and it is administered by the Canadian Plains Research Center (CPRC) of the University of Regina.
The critical issue that the IACC project addresses is the capacity of institutions in dryland regions to adapt to the impacts of climate change. The goal of the project is to develop a systematic and comprehensive understanding of the capacities of regional 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. This goal is addressed through a comparative study of regions at different stages of social and environmental vulnerability: the South Saskatchewan River Basin in western Canada and the Elqui River Basin of north-central Chile. Link to the IACC project website.
Rural Community Water Conservation
Funded by the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), this project addresses the development challenges of water security for poor rural communities in a dryland region of Chile. Working with colleagues at the University of La Serena in Chile, UR researchers are delivering education and training programs that improve the ability of rural women, non-government organizations and government agencies to address sustainable water management issues for rural communities affected by desertification and the impacts of climate change. By focusing its training and outreach efforts on the three poorest municipalities in the Coquimbo region of Chile, the impacts of the project will result in improved security of water, enhanced water quality, increased access to water for the poorest rural communities in the region and significantly enhanced leadership capacity among rural women for water management. The project team is partnering with numerous federal, regional and municipal government agencies, and non-government organizations in Chile and will be working with the Prairie Farm Rehabilitation Administration (PFRA) in Canada in developing and delivering training programs. Link to the project website.
Wascana
Review
In 1993, the CPRC Press took over the technical production of The Wascana
Review of Contemporary Poetry and Short Fiction, produced by the Department
of English and funded by the Faculty of Arts and the Faculty of Graduate Studies.
The CPRC provides this service under its operating grant from the Faculty
of Graduate Studies.
