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Land Reclamation

Land reclamation is the process of converting disturbed land to its former or other productive uses. Land reclamation is an interdisciplinary science. It can involve removal of contaminants from soil and water, building soils where they are absent or of poor quality, recontouring topography to reinstate hydrological processes, implementing erosion control measures, creating micro sites to enhance seed germination and seedling establishment and revegetation to appropriate plant species abundance and diversity. Land reclamation is guided by regulated procedures, industry best practices and stakeholder interests.

The Land Reclamation International Graduate School

Land reclamation professionals are increasingly in demand. Our growing human population parallels a rapidly degrading arable land base from urban sprawl, soil erosion, resource extraction and industrial development. Thus, one of the most pressing challenges of the 21st century is to reclaim disturbed lands around the world to secure the livelihood of future generations. The Land Reclamation International Graduate School (LRIGS) helps to meet this challenge.

LRIGS provides collaborative and interdisciplinary training and professional development opportunities to graduate highly qualified land reclamation professionals with the education and experience necessary to take on leadership roles in academia, consulting, government and industry. LRIGS is the first school of its kind in Canada and around the world, open to all undergraduate and graduate students and post doctoral fellows engaged in land reclamation and/or environmental research or programs, at the University of Alberta and other post secondary institutions.