Western notions of modernity must necessarily be tempered by an understanding that certain natural resources - especially air, freshwater and oceans - are central to our very existence; and that governments must exercise a continuing fiduciary duty to sustain the essence of those resources for the long-term use and enjoyment of the entire populace. Although Canadians have been slow to embrace the public trust notion, it has played a central role in water and environmental management in the United States since the 1970s; in that country, it mirrors an historic expansion of public consciousness and concern away from immediate private interests to the interests of others in society, future generations of humans, and even non-human life. A number of changes have taken place in Canada over the past few decades that suggest the time may right to move the public trust concept, or at least something akin to it, forward in the Canadian context; the only question that remains is whether policy-makers or the judiciary will take the lead.
This detailed policy paper explores the options and opportunities for water governance reform in British Columbia. The paper was developed to assist the Ministry of Environment with its commitment to address water management and modernize the 100 year old Water Act that is no longer able to deal with existing and emerging water issues in the province. Recognizing that governance alone cannot correct inadequate water management, but poor governance will almost certainly prevent effective management, the report outlines three possible paths forward and emphasizes the need to build institutional and ecosystem resilience.
This Blueprint for a Comprehensive Water Conservation and Efficiency Strategy was prepared in anticipation of the development of Ontario's Provincial Water Conservation and Efficiency Strategy. This policy paper synthesizes research on progressive water conservation policies into a comprehensive plan of action. Implementation of the recommended actions would position Ontario as a leader on conservation. The Blueprint has been endorsed by a number of NGOs and will be utilized to provide input to the province's consultation process.
This brief, from WWF-Canada, was prepared for the House of Commons Standing Committee on Environment and Sustainable Development hearings on the impacts of oil sands development on fresh water. The brief focuses on the public policy dimensions of oil sands and water; in particular those areas where the federal government has the opportunity, and more importantly, the responsibility, to act. Three critical issues are focused on: protecting environmental flows in the Athabasca River; planning for water security in a changing climate; and, ensuring equity and avoiding conflict in watershed governance.
This report examines groundwater’s characteristics, as well as the goals and challenges inherent in achieving sustainable management. The report also examines how those challenges might be overcome in order to protect Canada’s precious groundwater resource.
Meeting Ontario’s commitment to slow the progression of climate change will take more than changing light-bulbs. It will require all sectors to diligently look for opportunities to reduce waste and increase efficiency. This study, the first of its kind in Canada, suggests a significant untapped opportunity exists for water conservation to reduce energy, save municipal dollars and mitigate Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions: “The energy savings associated with pumping 20% less water in 2029 could achieve a whopping 34% of the reported energy reduction potential for Ontario municipalities” (Maas 2009).
This report describes some of the key mechanisms available to allocate water in times of scarcity, with a particular focus on markets and market mechanisms. It highlights some of the advantages and disadvantages, as well as recent experiences in jurisdictions—such as Alberta—that have begun to include markets formally in their water allocation framework.
The Soft Path for Water in a Nutshell provides an overview of the steps involved in soft path planning, illustrates how soft path planning differs from conventional, supply management, and discusses the potential for this innovative approach to develop water sustainability in Canada. Originally published in November 2005, revised with research results in September 2007.
Based on three years of research, this handbook provides a practical resource on how individuals, utilities and, most importantly, communities can save water and money. It seeks to inspire and facilitate action, designed for community leaders, water managers and policy makers. It promotes expanded definition of urban water infrastructure, including innovative physical components, water sensitive urban design and conservation programs designed to complement existing water supply networks. The Top Ten represent a suite of actions that can be tailored on a community- by-community basis. This report is available in both French and English in high resolution versions for printing and lower resolution versions for online viewing.
The report, co-authored by leading climate scientists Dr. James Bruce and Dr. Tina Tin, builds on a growing body of research assessing the risks associated with a global average temperature rise of 2°C (considered by scientists to be the danger threshold for environmental and human systems). The report describes how water flows in the Athabasca River in Alberta have decreased by about 20% from 1958 to 2003. As well, during record hot and dry years (from 1998 to 2001) the Great Lakes water levels have been consistently low. The report sites these two case studies as examples of what may happen if climate change continues to warm the earth: changes in rainfall patterns, more evaporation from lakes and rivers and less glacial flow resulting in lower lake levels and river flows.
