Paleoenvironmental Perspectives on Drought in Western Canada — Introduction

Paleohydrology uses indirect evidence to describe the behaviour of hydrological or hydroclimatic systems prior to the initiation of direct monitoring. This evidence can be derived from either human sources or natural archives. The articles in this issue show how paleoenvironmental data may be used to: i) place recent observations within a context of the past several hundred years; ii) evaluate the impact of human modification of hydrological systems; and iii) examine the reliability of hypothesized connections between regional hydroclimate and remote climate forcings. As a group, these papers illustrate the dynamic and changing nature of the hydrology of western Canada, and provide a long-term perspective that can be crucial for good stewardship of water resources.