Climate Ready Prairies Project

The Prairie provinces (Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba) have been at the forefront of climate change impacts. From flooding, forest fires, droughts and unpredictable winter weather, climate change has made an already variable climate increasingly challenging for everyone. Yet climate adaptation conversations and actions are not happening often enough in the Prairies. 

The Climate Ready Prairies project seeks to change this by helping overcome behavioural, social and cultural barriers to climate change adaptation action in the region. Structured as both a training program and a research study, participants will gain practical skills in strategic communications and engagement while also helping to inform the development of a Prairie region-specific communications and engagement training guide.

Project Overview

Training Program

Climate Ready Prairies takes participants on a training journey to develop their climate communications and engagement skills from identifying audiences and crafting tailored narratives, to learning best practices for equitable engagement. Delivered in each of the Prairie provinces through in-person and virtual training and supported by an online community of practice. Please note: The training portion of this project is now complete.

Research Study

This training program is part of a broader research project through Carleton University focused on understanding the challenges and strengths within the prairie region for communicating and engaging on climate adaptation. Research methods include a landscape analysis, expert interviews, extensitve engagement with Indigenous partners, and feedback gained from the training and participant surveys.

Learn more about the project journey

Climate Ready Prairies Guide

After extensive research, training and engagement, the Climate Ready Prairies Guide is now publicly available. The Guide includes the newly developed PREPARE framework and best practices to help move communities from concern to meaningful adaptation action. Practitioners can also access a tip sheet, tools and case studies to support them in putting the guidance into practice. 

The Guide is for anyone responsible for communicating and engaging communities on climate adaptation. While it was designed specifically for the Prairie region, its approaches can also support adaptation planning and implementation initiatives across the country.

Project Partners

The Climate Ready Prairies project is a three year project delivered in partnership between ClimateWest and Re.Climate, Canada’s go-to centre for training, research and strategy on climate change communications and public engagement.

To ensure the respectful inclusion of Indigenous perspectives and priorities in this project, ClimateWest and Re.Climate are working with Indigenous Engagement Consultant, SevGen Consulting, to help facilitate direct engagement with First Nations, Métis and Inuit organizations and communities across the region leading on climate action and adaptation.