Canadian Prairies: Climate Change
The Canadian Prairies consist of Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. The Prairies are mostly covered by grasslands, plains and lowlands (mostly in the southern regions).
Economic:
Prairies play a large role in the Canadian agricultural industry. The Canadian agricultural industry is one of Canada’s most important industries. In 2018, it contributed $143 billion to Canada’s GDP (7.4 per cent). If we do not make an effort to slow down the inevitable climate change, our economy will suffer greatly. Climate change has already managed to cost the Canadian agricultural industry an estimated $3.6 billion in lost production. This loss was caused by droughts. Canada is also seeing an increase in the presence of agricultural pests and diseases as well. This will decrease the amount of healthy crops and affect the overall production. The pests and diseases will also make land harder and less beneficial to farm on. It could even become barren land. Without doubt it is certain that climate change will impact the economy for the worse.
Social/Cultural:
Cultural and social characteristics differentiate the Prairies from the rest of Canada. The Prairies are a place where farming, mining, and oil still provide a living for many, and traditionalists live in small, pioneering communities. The First Nations, who have lived in this area for centuries, have had the greatest influence on Prairie society. Outside of the "territories," this area has the largest proportion of Indigenous people in Canada. Prairies have extreme weather conditions that hinders people’s social and cultural lives. This weather is predicted to worsen as climate change continues. Researchers predict that the irregular precipitation patterns caused by climate change will lead to dramatic flooding, which can damage homes/property. Most insurance companies do not cover damage done by natural disasters, meaning all the residents will have to pay for damage on their own. This can lead people to feel stressed, with some maybe even turning to new ways of making money.
Environmental:
Climate change has adverse environmental impacts on prairies. Scientists predict that climate change could lead to more water shortages, extreme weather conditions, increased soil erosion and more insect infestations. Water shortage and extreme weather could considerably impact the biodiversity in the prairies, which would cause a distribution to the life cycle and may even lead to species disappearing. This may no longer be a prediction as all ecosystems are already shifting and transforming. Amplified extreme weather events such as floods droughts and even wildfires are just some of the numerous impacts of climate change in the prairies. Scientists have also predicted that there will be lower summer stream flows, falling lake levels, retreating glaciers and increasing soil- and water shortfall. One of the major effects of climate change is global warming. Global warming plays a large role in the increase of carbon dioxide. Due to global warming, the amount of carbon dioxide trapped in the atmosphere increases. To conclude, climate change and environmental impacts go hand in hand.
