Myth of Water Abundance

One of the greatest threats to Canada's supply of fresh water is our belief in its absolute abundance – 2/3 of Canadians think that Canada does not have a fresh water shortage problem (see Public Opinion) - however a limitless supply of water in Canada is a myth. The reality is:

• Economic growth is already constrained by water scarcity in parts of Western Canada.
• 25% of Canadian communities experienced water shortages during the latter half of the 1990s.
• While the volume of fresh water sitting in Canada’s lakes accounts for about 20% of the water in all the world’s lakes, Canada only has 6.5% of the world’s renewable water supply is in Canada – behind Brazil (12.4%) and Russia (10%) and just ahead of the United States (6.4%). To ensure water for future generations, we must be careful not to consume non-renewable water supplies.
• Most of our water is inaccessible - 60% of Canada’s surface water flows north. Only 2.6% of the world’s fresh water supply is available to southern Canada where most of the population lives.
• Canada has 7% of the world’s land mass and about the same proportion of the world’s renewable supply of water – meaning we have just about enough water to meet the ecological needs of our land mass.