Drought Research in Canada: A Review

Since human activities and ecosystem health are dependent on adequate, reliable water supplies, droughts pose a serious threat to society and the environment. Large-area, prolonged droughts are among Canada's costliest natural disasters having major impacts on a wide range of sectors including agriculture, forestry, industry, municipalities, recreation, health and society, and aquatic ecosystems. Although most regions of Canada experience drought, southern regions of the Canadian Prairies are more susceptible mainly because they experience high precipitation variability in time and space. This paper reviews relevant scientific research and program activities on droughts in Canada with an emphasis on the Canadian Prairies. Investigations into past trends and variability of drought occurrence in the instrumental and paleo-records are first examined. This is followed by a description of the existing body of knowledge regarding the large-scale atmospheric causes of Canadian drought. Studies into the potential...