News: Alberta Land Institute

December 7, 2015

Engaging The Experts: Irrigation Research Team Hosts Workshop In Lethbridge

How might a certain policy influence water demand in Alberta, under specific climate or economic conditions? No model can predict the future with perfect accuracy, but by providing quick and easy-to-use simulations based on real-world data, systems models like the ones being developed for ALI's project Systems Modeling and Sustainable Land and Water Policy in Alberta’s Irrigation Sector can highlight…

November 13, 2015

Alberta’s Land Use Change in Context: How does the rate of agricultural land conversion and fragmentation in Alberta compare to other jurisdictions?

By Quentin Lau, Research Associate The continued rapid growth of Alberta's resource sector and urban population has made an impact on the province’s landscape, but do we know by how much? Statistics Canada has indicated that Alberta, and particularly the cities of Calgary and Edmonton, are seeing faster population growth than anywhere else in Canada. Is that expansion leading to fragmentation and…

November 9, 2015

Influences of Growth: ALI Research Team Publishes Project's Second Paper

The Alberta Land Institute's three-year project Economic Evaluation of Farmland Conversion and Fragmentation in Alberta is examining the province's agricultural landscape. Led by Principal Investigators Dr. Scott Jeffrey and Dr. Brent Swallow, along with Co-Investigators Dr. Feng Qiu and Dr. Arturo Sanchez-Azofeifa, this research is helping create a clearer understanding of the ways in which rapid…

October 27, 2015

Reversing the Auction: Conservation Auction Experiences in Australia

Since the arrival of Europeans in Australia, the country's landscape has changed significantly. Agricultural development led to the clearing of vast wooded areas, and grazing animals have taken a toll on many types of vegetation –– even young trees. As the Australian Government works to protect the country's environment for future generations, it faces a difficult question: what is the best way…

September 21, 2015

Benefits and Costs: Examining the Impact of Infrastructure Investment in Alberta's Irrigation Sector

Irrigation has played an important role in the development of Alberta since railways first arrived in the province. In the early years of the twentieth century, diverting water from rivers to farmland was considered a necessity for survival. Today, the demand for irrigation is less existential than economic: though only 4% of the province’s agricultural land is irrigated, it is responsible nearly…