Technological Adaptation for Water Storage and Distribution in the Oldman River Basin in Response to Extreme Climate Exposures
type: CreativeWork
description: Technology has played a significant role in the development of the Oldman River Basin since early settlements. The development of new and expanding industries, changes in agricultural activity and practices, and transformation in demographics and population density across the region have led to the installation and use of new technologies to manage water effectively and efficiently for multiple consumers. Existing technologies are challenged by extreme climate conditions that abruptly change water flow to increase droughts and floods that also affect vulnerable social systems. It is in this context that technology for water storage and distribution has taken a greater role as a determinant for adaptation in the agricultural industry. This research explores the impacts of severe climate exposures on technology for water storage and distribution, and how these impacts affect the vulnerability of these technologies, and consequently the vulnerability of agricultural producers within three jurisdictions in the Oldman River Basin. This research also explores technological actions taken by agricultural producers and local institutional representatives that lead into either adaptation to reduce vulnerability or to maladaptation to increase risks and vulnerabilities of social systems in the context of severe climate exposures. To understand and explain how adaptive actions contribute or not to technological adaptation, as well as how they may reduce risks and vulnerabilities of agricultural producers, this thesis focused on two major components: the social science represented by social and human capital, and the engineering component represented by the technological approach. This connection on how the vulnerability of technological systems relate to social systems and the vulnerability of agricultural producers was explored through semi-structured interviews and analysis of historical data on technological improvements and their impacts on the vulnerability of agricultural…
abstract: Technology has played a significant role in the development of the Oldman River Basin since early settlements. The development of new and expanding industries, changes in agricultural activity and practices, and transformation in demographics and population density across the region have led to the installation and use of new technologies to manage water effectively and efficiently for multiple consumers. Existing technologies are challenged by extreme climate conditions that abruptly change water flow to increase droughts and floods that also affect vulnerable social systems. It is in this context that technology for water storage and distribution has taken a greater role as a determinant for adaptation in the agricultural industry. This research explores the impacts of severe climate exposures on technology for water storage and distribution, and how these impacts affect the vulnerability of these technologies, and consequently the vulnerability of agricultural producers within three jurisdictions in the Oldman River Basin. This research also explores technological actions taken by agricultural producers and local institutional representatives that lead into either adaptation to reduce vulnerability or to maladaptation to increase risks and vulnerabilities of social systems in the context of severe climate exposures. To understand and explain how adaptive actions contribute or not to technological adaptation, as well as how they may reduce risks and vulnerabilities of agricultural producers, this thesis focused on two major components: the social science represented by social and human capital, and the engineering component represented by the technological approach. This connection on how the vulnerability of technological systems relate to social systems and the vulnerability of agricultural producers was explored through semi-structured interviews and analysis of historical data on technological improvements and their impacts on the vulnerability of agricultural…
author: Hernani Merino, Bruno Humberto
language: en
date published: 2016-09
date modified: 2026-07-24T04:03:50Z
provider: University of Regina
publisher: Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations
type: WebPage
source organization: Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research, University of Regina

PropertyValue
property ID: Handle
value: https://hdl.handle.net/10294/7629

PropertyValue
property ID: DOI
value: 10.82465/5155