In 1990 Environment Canada initiated a Mackenzie Basin Impact study (MBIS) in an attempt to produce a regional assessment of climate change scenarios. The basin was chosen because of its diverse wage and non-wage economy. The purpose of MBIS is to determine the possible impacts of global warming to the watershed. The programme includes studies on water resources, permafrost, vegetation, wildlife, economic activity, communities, and applications of remote sensing and GIS. Also being considered is the challenge of producing an integrated assessment incorporating traditional ecological knowledge.