Federal government invests in climate change adaptation research at UNB
Author: UNB Newsroom
Posted on Apr 15, 2019
Category: UNB Fredericton
The Government of Canada will invest $300,000 in climate adaptation research at the University of New Brunswick to tackle the challenges of a changing climate for current and future generations.
Mr. Matt DeCourcey, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, on behalf of the Honourable Amarjeet Sohi, Canada’s Minister of Natural Resources, today announced the $300,000 investment to UNB for the climate change adaptation project.
“The effects of climate change are being felt across the country, including in Atlantic Canada, where forests are being affected by drought and wind conditions,” says Mr. DeCourcey. “This is why our government is proud to support the University of New Brunswick as they navigate climate challenges facing the province’s forests and explore solutions that will benefit the environment and local communities.”
Funded through Natural Resources Canada’s Climate Change Adaptation Program, Dr. Van Lantz, professor and dean of the faculty of forestry and environmental management at UNB Fredericton, will lead a research project focusing on the socio-economic costs and benefits of adapting to climate-induced changes, such as drought and wind, in Atlantic Canada’s forests. Findings from this analysis will help those in the forestry sector and communities, including Indigenous peoples, plan and adapt to the impacts of a changing climate.
“Funding from Natural Resources Canada provides UNB the ability to assemble a team of experts to research the impacts of climate change on forests and explore solutions to adapt that ensures our forests will continue to provide the wide array of ecological goods and services that society depends on,” says Dr. Lantz.
UNB will assess how adaptation, such as assisted species migration and other management practices, could help ensure our forests continue to support the economy and local communities.
The announcement is part of the government’s plan to cut pollution, grow the economy and build healthier communities for all Canadians.
Media contacts:- Paisley Sibbald, Communications Officer, University of New Brunswick, 506-453-5141, Paisley.Sibbald@unb.ca
- Vanessa Adams, Press Secretary, Office of the Minister of Natural Resources, 343-543-7645, Vanessa.Adams@canada.ca
Photo: Fredericton MP Matt DeCourcey, Dr. Van Lantz, dean of the faculty of forestry and environmental management at UNB, and Dr. George MacLean, UNB’s vice-president academic (Fredericton). Credit: Paisley Sibbald/UNB