https://gwf.usask.ca/impc/

The Integrated Modelling Program for Canada, or "IMPC," is a transdisciplinary research program bringing together scientists and stakeholders from six Canadian universities, twelve government agencies and more than ten end-user communities. This team provides a unique expertise that integrates atmospheric science, hydrology and ecology with social science, computer science, economics, and water resource engineering. IMPC aims to develop modelling capability for the prediction and management of change in Canada?s seven major river basins. The research themes of IMPC are designed to diagnose, simulate, and predict interactions amongst natural and human-driven water resource components of the changing Earth and environmental systems, and to deliver optimal decision-making tools and solutions for uncertain future water resources, considering the range of stakeholder needs in Canada?s major river basins. We assemble a strong transdisciplinary research team from eight universities, 12 government agencies and 14 user groups to deliver tools to predict and manage risks to the current and future quality and quantity of Canada?s waters. We integrate atmospheric science, hydrology and ecology with social science, computer science, economics and water resource engineering to build on and extend core Global Water Futures (GWF) modelling, computer science and knowledge mobilization capabilities and focus on their application to Canada?s six major river basins. We provide an integrated platform for decision making under uncertainty to address outstanding local- to national-scale challenges posed by users across multiple water jurisdictions. This team will develop and integrate advanced modelling tools to represent interactions across climatic, hydrological, ecological, economic, and management systems, to enable prediction of new extremes and events such as floods and droughts, and provide a new paradigm for model development, integrated water management, and user engagement. Through the integrated modelling and management platform, and in close collaboration with stakeholder communities, we identify tipping points and critical trade-offs for decision analysis, and deliver preferred solutions, utilizing state-of-the-art tools for multi-criteria decision analysis under deep uncertainty. Working with our users, we will develop advanced visualization tools for improved understanding, communication and decision support to maximize two-way, iterative user engagement.