Thompson Rivers University is partnering with two other universities to do research on climate change in B.C.

The school’s associate vice-president Will Garrett-Petts cites the Abbott-Chapman report that came out last year as a main reason why.

“Of the 108 recommendations, one of the central ones was to focus on wildfires. Their impact and how communities can be better prepared. The report itself says that we’ve been remiss as a province, in terms of our investments in research in this area,” he says.

“That was a strong motivation for us. Essentially we’re responding to the call. The issues, we’re right in the middle of them. Whether people are feeling it directly or we become a refuge center in a place like Kamloops. And the university of course has been affected by that, we were the home for those people seeking shelter.”

UBCO and UNBC will also be doing the same research.

Garrett-Petts says the three schools have committed $120,000 dollars, and he says more money for research has been promised by the province.