Scientists have been issuing increasingly direct warnings about the impact that climate change is having on the planet. These interdisciplinary studies break new ground in terms of our understanding of the climate experience in the Great Plains before and after agriculture was introduced, the current array of institutions surrounding water governance, and the strengths and weaknesses of rural and Aboriginal communities. Four chapters focus on the present attributes of, as well as future scenarios for, the South Saskatchewan River Basin in southern Alberta and southwestern Saskatchewan. The final group of chapters present case studies of rural communities, Cabri and Stewart Valley Saskatchewan, and Hanna as well as a First Nation reserve in Alberta, as well as a major conflict over water rights in Alberta.