Manitoba Cooperator - Farm climate adaptation on tap with MFGA project
“We know that by working together with organizations and businesses in Manitoba, we can make a real change in communities, I look forward to seeing the results of the MFGA’s new initiative that will help provide critical information for agricultural producers”
The MFGA plans to use $130K in funding to model how climate change will affect water resources in key Manitoba watersheds and guide agricultural adaptation. Photo: File
The Manitoba Co-operator has featured the latest MFGA initiative, with comments from Dr. Steve Frey, Aquanty’s Director of Research Services, highlighting how advanced modelling is supporting more climate-resilient farming in Manitoba. The new project “Evaluating climate change impacts on Manitoba’s forage and grassland landscapes” will build on the MFGA Aquanty hydrologic model to simulate how changing climate conditions could impact water availability, land use, and agricultural sustainability across the Pembina Valley and Assiniboine West Watershed Districts.
Developed in partnership with Aquanty, the MFGA model maps interactions between surface water, groundwater, and land use in the Assiniboine and Pembina River watersheds. The new climate-focused initiative will use that same modelling framework to project future scenarios through 2050 and 2100, generating localized climate risk maps and data tools for rural communities.
This work will help government agencies, watershed managers, and producers better prepare for a more variable climate by understanding how water resources and agroecosystems may shift in the decades ahead.
Importantly, this initiative is being led by the Province of Manitoba’s Department of Environment and Climate Change, marking a shift from more traditional agricultural funding channels. The year-long project is supported by $130,000 in provincial funding and forms part of a broader $2-million Manitoba climate resilience investment announced on Earth Day 2025. As the project progresses, results will be made publicly available through the MFGA website, including data products, maps, and webinars to support farmer decision-making.
This collaboration between MFGA, Aquanty, and the Province is a strong step forward in understanding and addressing climate change impacts on Manitoba’s agricultural landscapes— especially the critical role that forage and grasslands can play in building long-term resilience.
“The … project will be critical to understand how water availability, including groundwater, will be affected in rural areas. The MFGA Aquanty model has (a) unique approach that factors both surface and subsurface resources.”