WC134 JanFeb 2024 - Magazine - Page 7
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Manitoba Expands
Watersheds
WETLANDS COMBAT EMISSIONS
MANITOBA IS INVESTING an additional
$294,000 in its Watershed Districts Program, Environment Minister Tracy Schmidt
announced. This expansion, ahead of the
Manitoba Association of Watersheds conference, aims to improve watershed health and
combat climate change. The program, a collaboration among 14 districts and 113 municipalities, focuses on environmental protection
and connects local and provincial environmental efforts. The funding supports agricultural producers, rural municipalities, and
First Nations in land and water stewardship,
and includes an extra $300,000 for waterway
infrastructure. This initiative enhances watershed sustainability, climate resilience, and
Lake Winnipeg protection.
collaborating with McGill University,
have found that freshwater wetlands are
key in reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Their study in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences highlights
the Lake Simcoe watershed wetlands as
exceptionally efficient in carbon storage,
ranking just below salt marshes.
Lead researcher Dr. Florin Pendea
emphasizes wetlands’ role in absorbing
carbon dioxide, thus mitigating global
warming. This three-year study analyzed
soil and carbon accumulation in various
wetland areas threatened by development,
revealing that regularly flooded wetlands
LAKEHEAD UNIVERSITY RESEARCHERS,
excel in long-term carbon storage.
The findings advocate for the conservation and restoration of wetlands as
a crucial climate change countermeasure. The research extends to evaluating
constructed wetlands for greenhouse gas
balance, focusing on mitigating emissions
like methane and nitrous oxide.
Bill Thompson from the Lake Simcoe
Region Conservation Authority notes
wetlands’ importance in biodiversity, water quality, and climate change strategies.
The study, partially funded by the Lake
Simcoe Region Conservation Authority, informs municipal climate change
solutions.
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WATER C AN ADA • JANUARY/ FEBRUARY 2024
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