TORONTO, 20 December 2018 – Pollution Probe and the Council of the Great Lakes Region (CGLR) are pleased to be partnering with the Royal Bank of Canada on an innovative project that will support an improved approach to watershed management and adaptive decision-making in the Great Lakes. RBC has generously contributed $100,000 to the project.
This project will leverage ‘Big Data’ and advanced computing to improve watershed planning and predictive decision-making in the Great Lakes watersheds, in relation to climate change, land use change and other socio-economic trends affecting the lakes.
This project will be of great value to policy-makers and organizations involved in managing the Great Lakes including government, industry, academia and NGOs. New and unique data visualization and decision-making tools, insights and knowledge can be derived using data science and high performance computing. These tools and insights can help policy-makers and other stakeholders better understand the complex factors that cause dynamic changes in the watersheds supporting the health of the Great Lakes, and inform adaptation and mitigation strategies in the basin. By helping improve watershed management in the Great Lakes region, the project will foster greater resiliency and sustainability across the Region.
Phase 1 of this project will be a multi-stakeholder workshop that will bring together leading experts in watershed science and management to discuss pressures facing the basin and certain watersheds along Lake Ontario in Canada. It will also explore ways to more effectively incorporate multi-disciplinary perspectives and a broad array of data and knowledge into future Great Lakes watershed planning, management, and protection efforts through the development of Lakewide Action and Management Plans under the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement.
Quotes
“We are incredibly grateful to RBC for making this important project possible. The Great Lakes constitute a unique resource that is vital to the economic, social and ecological wealth of the region and the continent as a whole. This project will foster increased cross-sector collaboration and support adaptive decision-making and management in the basin, which is necessary to protect the Great Lakes and its watersheds for future generations.” Christopher Hilkene, CEO of Pollution Probe
“Every day we produce volumes of data, from air quality and monitoring the health of our watersheds, to economic development and urban growth. By leveraging world-class capabilities in data science and advanced computing in Ontario, we can now integrate and analyse all kinds of data at incredible speeds and generate profound insights and knowledge. This project, with generous funding from RBC, will give us a glimpse into the power of this technology and how it can be used in planning our cities and protecting the environment.” Mark Fisher, President and CEO of CGLR
About Pollution Probe
Established in 1969, Pollution Probe is a national, non-profit organization that exists to improve the health and wellbeing of Canadians by advancing policy that achieves positive, tangible environmental change. Pollution Probe has a proven track record of working in partnership with industry and government to develop practical solutions to environmental challenges.
About The Council of the Great Lakes Region
The Council of the Great Lakes Region is a binational non-profit organization that is dedicated to deepening the United States-Canada relationship in the Great Lakes Region. It focuses on creating a stronger and more dynamic culture of collaboration in harnessing the region’s economic strengths and assets, improving the well-being and prosperity of the Region’s citizens, and protecting the Great Lakes for future generations. It achieves this mandate by conducting evidenced based policy research, connecting diverse perspectives at events like the Great Lakes Economic Forum, and acting as a strong voice for the Region’s varied economic, social and environmental interests.
For further information, please contact:
Christopher Hilkene
Chief Executive Officer, Pollution Probe
416-926-1907 x 259
chilkene@pollutionprobe.org
Mark Fisher
Chief Executive Officer, Council of the Great Lakes Region
613-668-2044
mark@councilgreatlakesregion.org
