The future will bring changes to the Great Lakes. Are we ready to meet them?
The Great Lakes support a regional economy of US$6 trillion (CDN$7.5 trillion) and provide safe drinking water for millions of people. Science provides essential data to build consensus around managing and preventing threats to the Great Lakes.
While existing investments from the United States and Canadian federal governments’ support vital investments in restoring the Great Lakes ecosystem, these efforts are focused on addressing harmful decisions and actions from the past. A lack of investment in surveillance, monitoring and forecasting leaves the region vulnerable.
The forthcoming Science Plan will be a forward-looking plan for resources to transform science in the Great Lakes to safeguard our communities and the region’s economy, while protecting the lakes’ ecological health.
The Development Process for the Great Lakes Science Plan
The SAB is currently working with a collaborative of experts and stakeholders from which includes representatives from federal, state and provincial agencies, universities, nongovernment organizations, Tribes and First Nations organizations, and other IJC Advisory Boards.
The Great Lakes Science Plan Collaborative was convened in Autumn 2023 and contractor team was retained to support the Science Plan’s development. This development includes six convenings of experts and stakeholders, both members of the Collaborative and otherwise, on topics including:
- Preliminary governance and management discussions (June 2024)
- Monitoring, modeling and forecasting (October 2024)
- Discussions with major science providers (Winter 2024)
- Workforce development, including synthesis of input related to Centers of Excellence (Winter 2025)
- Governance and management discussions follow-up (Spring 2025)
- Critique and analysis of the draft Science Plan (Spring-Summer 2025)
The Great Lakes Science Plan for the Next Generation is expected to be available to the public in Winter 2026.
Engaging Communities in Developing the Great Lakes Science Plan
The IJC’s Great Lakes Regional Office is currently engaging with Tribes, First Nations and Métis and equity-deserving communities throughout the Great Lakes basin about their ongoing science needs. These engagements aim to ensure that the thoughts, wants, and needs of equity-deserving and Indigenous communities are represented in the Science Plan and addressed for the next generation.