The Improving Drought Resilience in Alberta Through a 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.
At this time, the Drought Simulation Project Team is looking to retain expertise to perform a literature review that compiles existing information on drought management resources, roles and responsibilities, regulations, metrics, thresholds, indicators, and responses in Alberta and other jurisdictions, and provides information on existing drought simulation methodology, decision support tools and models to help inform the project team on the appropriate approach to facilitating a drought simulation game-style exercise, and what elements should be included.
