03 - Drought Simulation Exercise Planning, Implementation, and Evaluation

The Alberta Water Council's Improving Drought Resilience in Alberta Through a Simulation (Drought Simulation) project originated from a statement of opportunity brought forward to the AWC by the Government of Alberta. The Council identified drought resilience as priority work at the February 2020 board meeting and established a working group to scope the project and develop terms of reference. The board approved a project team, which was established in May 2020, to use appropriately scoped and scaled simulation(s) to assist the Government of Alberta, municipalities, Indigenous communities, and other groups (e.g., WPACs, Alberta Irrigation Districts Association) to understand and plan for drought preparation and response, including mitigation, monitoring, decision-making, and communication before, during, and after a drought. 

The Drought Simulation Project Team is looking to retain expertise to lead the planning, implementation, and evaluation of a drought simulation exercise focused on the South Saskatchewan River Basin. The primary purpose of this exercise is to inform the draft Alberta Environment and Parks drought response plan through a vulnerability and risk assessment.