Farmers and ranchers in British Columbia (B.C.) produce a diverse array of products, including dairy products and eggs, poultry and beef, vegetables, berries, grapes and tree fruit. The agrifood and seafood sector in B.C. contributes $14 billion or 2% of total provincial GDP and is an important part of making B.C. a healthy place. Climate change projections indicate that by 2050 B.C. can expect an average increase in temperature of 1.8°C and an increase in precipitation of 6%, with a 1% decrease during the summer. Hotter and drier conditions can exacerbate the frequency and severity of summer droughts as well as increase the likelihood of multi-year seasonal droughts. Using a water balance approach and the Standardized Precipitation and Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI), this study examined projected changes to the available water in summer for agriculturally-significant watersheds in B.C. for two global greenhouse emission scenarios (RCP 4.5 and RCP 8.5).

The Natural Resources & Environmental Studies Institute (NRESi) at UNBC hosts a weekly lecture series at the Prince George campus. Anyone from the university or wider community with interest in the topic area is welcome to attend. Go to http://www.unbc.ca/nres-institute/colloquium-webcasts to view the presentation remotely.

Past NRESi colloquium presentations and special lectures can be viewed on our video archive, available here.