Climate and Climate Change

This section explores a variety of topics relating to climate, with a focus on the relationship between water, weather and climate in Alberta. Climate conditions, including changing climate conditions because of global climate change, influence:

  • water on the landscape,
  • our water use needs, and
  • water related hazards and severe weather events like drought and floods.

Learn more about…

image of a paper dictionary focused on the word 'climate', by Mick Haupt on Unsplash
Photo by Mick Haupt on Unsplash

Climate and Water Words Worth Knowing

Our changing climate and its effect on our shared water resources is an increasingly popular topic of discussion in government, academia, businesses and households. Conversations about climate can be heavily science based, and may frequently be accompanied by an array of terms that are critical to understanding climate issues and their solutions.

Read a handy glossary of key climate and water terms.

Emergency crews during the 2013 flood in AB
Emergency crews during the 2013 flood in AB

Effects of Climate Change on Alberta’s Watersheds

The main story for Alberta is that variability is a permanent feature of climate, however climate change is likely to increase the range of weather conditions we experience. This means the province can expect to see more drastic swings between warm and cold, wet and dry, and calm and wild weather. It also means we can expect to see temperatures, precipitation and weather conditions that have been extremely rare historically, or not been seen at all in Alberta.

Learn more about climate change and Alberta’s water.

AI generated image of a woolly mammoth walking in a canola field with mountains in the distance
Woolly mammoth in canola. (AI generated)

The History of Climate in Alberta – 11,000 Years Ago to Present

Although the Earth’s (and Alberta’s) climate has changed drastically over the last 4.5 billion years, the focus of this timeline is on the Holocene, which started when the Cordilleran and Laurentide Ice Sheets started melting and retreating from Alberta and North America around 11,000 years ago. Using paleoclimatic records from the Holocene helps us understand how a different global climate influenced regional hydrology and ecology of the landscape we see today.

Learn more about a history of climate in Alberta.

Black-and-white photograph showing Peyto Glacier weather station showing sensor locations air temperature, solar radiation and shielded precipitation gauge
Peyto Glacier weather station

Extreme Weather: Insurance and Government's Financial Response

When recovering from extreme weather events, you may not always know where to turn. Sometimes there can seem to be an overwhelming number of resources to consult, while in other cases there can appear to be very few.

Learn more about recovering from extreme weather.

Bow River
Bow River

Climate Change Impacts on River Systems and Water Users

Explore climate change versus weather, and the impact of climate change on river basins in Alberta. Detail on the Athabasca, Bow River, Oldman, and Red Deer River Basins will provide examples on how the effects of climate change are already being seen in these basins.

Learn more about Climate Change, River Systems, and Water Users

Photograph of WaterPortal Board Member Ross Douglas

Ross Douglas

Board Member

Ross has extensive executive experience in Operations, Governance, Information Technology and Strategy at the board and senior management level including Mancal Corporation, Mancal Energy, Highridge Exploration and Atlantis Resources. He has worked in Oil and Gas, Coal, Commercial Real Estate, Portfolio Management, Recreation, Retail and Water and Wastewater Treatment. His experience is also geographically diverse having overseen operations in Canada, the United States, United Kingdom and Northern Ireland. Additionally, he has been on the board of companies with operations in Argentina, Azerbaijan, Barbados, Kazakhstan, and Russia. He has served on numerous Public, Private and Not for Profit Boards across a number of industries.

Ross has been active on several industry Boards and committees including the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers (CAPP) and The Schulich School of Engineering Industry Advisory Council at the Schulich School of Engineering.

Photograph of WaterPortal Board Member Brian Mergelas

Brian Mergelas, PhD, ICD.D

Board Member

Brian is a seasoned Cleantech entrepreneur with a proven history of successfully bringing complex water technologies to the market.   With over 25 years of experience, he has led various organizations to achieve significant milestones in the industry. 

Having started as the founding CEO of the Pressure Pipe Inspection Company (PPIC) and later taking the helm at the Water Technology Acceleration Project (WaterTAP), Brian’s entrepreneurial spirit has been instrumental in driving innovation and growth within the sector. 

He is an active investor in the cleantech sector and has served on many boards including the Ontario Clean Water Agency. 

Actively engaged in industry associations like AWWA, WEF, IWA, and ASCE, Brian enjoys collaborating with fellow professionals to promote advancements in the field. 

Brian holds an undergraduate degree and a PhD in Physics from Queen’s University, which has provided him with a solid technical foundation.   As a member of the Institute of Corporate Directors, he brings valuable insights to corporate governance.