Dr. Richard Grosshans is the Bioeconomy Lead in IISD’s Water Program. He received his PhD in Biosystems Engineering and Biological Sciences at the University of Manitoba, where he was an NSERC IPGS Research Scholar. His current research crosses multiple disciplinary boundaries focused on integration of water, energy, and nutrient management with sustainable agriculture, bioproducts, and bioenergy. Richard’s expertise is in wetland systems, integrated watershed management, environmental engineering, biogeochemistry, nutrient management, water quality, bioremediation, eutrophication in aquatic systems, alternative energy, and bioproducts and bioenergy.
Richard is the lead research scientist on the award-winning and internationally recognized Lake Winnipeg Bioeconomy project and Netley-Libau Nutrient-Bioenergy project, which have contributed towards policies on nutrient and surface water management, wetland protection, GHG emission reductions and offsets, and reduction of phosphorus loading in Canada and internationally. This research explores innovative watershed-based bioeconomy approaches that generate environmental and economic benefits to address integrated issues of flooding and nutrient loading. Richard is affiliated with the Paludiculture research group in Germany, and is collaborating on water and nutrient retention projects in Canada and the US.
Richard’s work at IISD has included geographic analysis of water issues in Canada, watershed changes in Hungary, international policy influences to deforestation in the Amazon, EGS, and biomass energy in Europe and Africa. Prior to IISD, Richard worked as a research biologist for Ducks Unlimited Canada, examining long-term trends and human impacts in wetlands.
All Publications
- Geography Matters: Targeting "hotspots" for cumulative environmental benefits
Briefing Note - June 6, 2019
Using open data from a variety of sources, we demonstrated how Manitoba can target its limited resources to deliver public programming to agricultural regions and gain better outcomes. - IISD’s Response to Manitoba’s Proposed New Water Rights Regulations to Protect Wetlands and Make Drainage More Sustainable in the Province
Discussion Paper - January 28, 2019
IISD's response to the Government of Manitoba's proposed drainage regulations aimed to ensure no net loss of wetland benefits while streamlining the drainage permitting process. - Canada Should Copy Europe When It Comes to the Bioeconomy
Blog - December 14, 2018
The recently announced EU Bioeconomy Strategy continues that continent’s legacy of advancing biological solutions to environmental questions and strategically highlights the economic benefits of the approach with a strong focus on jobs, growth and investment. - Floating Treatment Wetlands: Keeping our fresh water clean and healthy
Brochure - November 28, 2018
We explain how, where and why floating treatment wetlands can be used to keep freshwater bodies clean around the world. - Floating Treatment Wetlands: Keeping our fresh water clean and healthy
Report - July 30, 2018
This short, engaging storybook takes you through what Floating Treatment Wetlands are, and how they could really help us keep bodies of fresh water clean and healthy. - How to Build a Floating Wetland
Video - June 19, 2018
Not only do floating wetlands look super cool, they could help us keep fresh water free of whole range of pollutants—maybe even oil spills! Madeline and Richard take us through how to make one, in this short video. - Manitoba's Biomass Fuel: Protecting our environment and saving us money
Policy Brief - March 12, 2018
Biomass is a viable, abundant and environmentally sound source of renewable energy in Manitoba. This is what we need to do to make it a major renewable energy player in the province. - Making Biomass Big Business in Manitoba
Blog - February 26, 2018
Biomass has the potential to be a major player in the renewable energy sector in Manitoba. Now we need to create a sustainable industry for it. Here's how we can make that happen. - How to Best Manage Water Retention Sites to Protect Manitoba's Environment
Policy Brief - December 19, 2017
Water retention sites—vital for protecting Manitoba from floods—must be well managed so Manitobans can enjoy the abundance of additional environmental benefits they can bring. - Manitoba Bioeconomy Atlas
Interactive - November 20, 2017
The Manitoba Bioeconomy Atlas demonstrates the economic and ecological value of common wetland plants as a marketable feedstock for biomass energy—all with the goal of creating a healthier Lake Winnipeg basin and developing a Manitoba bioeconomy. - Large Area Planning in the Nelson-Churchill River Basin (NCRB): Laying a foundation in northern Manitoba
Report - November 23, 2016
This report explores two trends—the growing tendency towards large basin management and consideration of ecosystem services in decision making—for the northern portion of the Nelson-Churchill River Basin in Canada. - Large Area Planning in the Nelson-Churchill River Basin (NCRB): Laying a foundation in northern Manitoba (Summary)
Report - November 23, 2016
This document summarizes a longer report that explores two trends—the growing tendency towards large basin management and consideration of ecosystem services in decision making—for the northern portion of the Nelson-Churchill River Basin in Canada. - Smart-Sourced Fuel Products
Brochure - June 20, 2016
Many different types of “waste” or under-used plant materials can be turned into value-added bioenergy fuel products. This brochure, available in both English and French, focuses on such materials available in Manitoba, Canada, including agricultural residues, forestry residues, grassland plants and wetland plants. - Cattails Into Clean Energy: Where to from here?
Blog - June 17, 2016
Richard Grosshans takes a look at the success our bioeconomy work harvesting cattails into clean-energy pellets, and discusses where the project is headed now. - Advancing Netley-Libau Marsh Restoration Efforts: Cattail biomass and nutrient survey of Netley-Libau Marsh
Paper - April 27, 2015
Lake Winnipeg is one of the largest freshwater lakes in the world and drains a watershed area of 1,000,000 square kilometres. Overloading of... - Strategic Large-Basin Management for Multiple Benefits: Submission to the Manitoba Clean Environment Commission
Paper - March 14, 2015
This paper was submitted to the Manitoba Clean Environment Commission (CEC) for consideration in its review of the regulation of Lake Winnipeg... - Cattail Biomass in a Watershed-Based Bioeconomy: Commercial-scale harvesting and processing for nutrient capture, biocarbon and high-value bioproducts
Paper - February 2, 2015
One of the fundamental insights of the Watershed-Bioeconomy research is that phosphorus, the nutrient responsible for fouling Lake Winnipeg and... - Cattail Biomass to Energy: Commercial-scale harvesting of cattail biomass for biocarbon and solid fuel
Paper - January 20, 2015
The International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) has explored the harvesting of cattail (Typha spp.) as a component of watershed... - Bioeconomies at a Watershed Scale (brochure)
Brochure - August 30, 2014
This brochure provides an overview of IISD’s watershed-focused approach to the bioeconomy.To do so, it details two case studies of watershed-based... - Cattails for Clean Community Waterways
Video - April 29, 2014
In 2013, the City of Winnipeg and IISD embarked on a project to turn locally harvested cattail (Typha) and native prairie grasses into pellets to... - Cattails Harvesting for Carbon Offsets and Nutrient Capture: A "Lake Friendly" greenhouse gas project
Paper - September 20, 2013
The Cattail Biomass Harvesting project is pursuing and evaluating the commercial-scale harvesting of cattail (Typha spp.) for its multiple co... - Cattail (Typha spp.) Harvesting in Manitoba: A legislative and market analysis for operationalization and carbon emission offsets
Paper - July 24, 2013
Research findings from the Netley-Libau Nutrient-Bioenergy project are encouraging replication of the cattail harvesting concept in areas in the... - Our Lake, Our Solutions: Two years of progress and partnerships
Video - November 30, 2012
This video details progress IISD has made with its partners on the bioeconomy concept since the Lake Winnipeg Basin Summit in 2010, when IISD... - Netley-Libau Nutrient-Bioenergy Project Video
Video - August 16, 2011
This video was produced by Red River College interns, Sarah Doerksen (Animator) and Amanda Hope (Narrator)—hosted by IISD in March and April, 2011... - Netley-Libau Nutrient-Bioenergy Project
Brochure - May 31, 2011
This brochure provides an overview of the award-winning and internationally recognized Netley-Libau Marsh Nutrient-Bioenergy Project and describes... - Netley-Libau Marsh Google Earth Tour
Video - February 8, 2011
Take a video tour of Netley-Libau Marsh (Manitoba, Canada), a major freshwater coastal wetland that lies at the mouth of the Red River and at the... - Prospects for Mainstreaming Ecosystem Goods and Services in International Policies
Book - August 25, 2010
This study shows how local delivery of ecosystem goods and services (EGS) is closely linked to international policies on development cooperation,... - Indicators of Adaptive Capacity to Climate Change for Agriculture in the Prairie Region of Canada: Comparison with Field Observations
Paper - August 21, 2009
A 2009 update of the joint IISD-PFRA working paper. - Indicators of Adaptive Capacity to Climate Change for Agriculture in the Prairie Region of Canada: An Analysis based on Statistics Canada's Census of Agriculture
Paper - August 21, 2009
This working paper documents a collaborative IISD/AAFC-PFRA effort to develop an index of adaptive capacity at the Census Division level for the... - Field Testing the Draft Canadian Biodiversity Index: A Report on Applying Real Ecosystem Data to the CBI
Paper - November 22, 2006
The loss of biodiversity is recognized as one of the most serious global environmental issues. The Canadian Biodiversity Index (CBI) was developed...