Water security: transforming challenges into opportunities
By Ralph Pentland, Soula Chronopoulos, J. Michael Miltenberger, Robert Sandford and Ted Yuzyk
Canada’s National Observer, September 2025
Canada hasn't yet declared water a matter of national security, but the urgency is clear, write Ralph Pentland, Soula Chronopoulos, J. Michael Miltenberger, Robert Sandford and Ted Yuzyk
Water is life. That’s a simple fact that underpins a vast set of global challenges. Around the world, there are two billion people without stable access to safe drinking water. In Canada, communities, ecosystems, and industries are increasingly feeling the strain of water insecurity.
Improving the way we manage our freshwater is one of the defining challenges of the 21st Century, exacerbated by the pressures from pollution, population growth and parched landscapes. Millions have already been displaced from exhausted freshwater basins, and North America is not immune.
Thankfully, another kind of ecosystem is emerging to meet the threat: innovators and engineers, who are putting their minds to developing the technological solutions to turn the tides. While no one has yet figured out how to turn water into wine, Canada is home to a surge of new partnerships driving groundbreaking water-smart innovations.
These range from fog-harvesting systems that generate potable water, to miniature submarines that detect leaks in aging city pipes, and to closed-loop irrigation systems that enable farms in the desert and other drought-ravaged lands. All Canadian-made.
Artificial intelligence looms large, with its potential to enhance the efficiency of water and wastewater projects by optimizing performance with minimal disruptions. The integration of intelligent systems can help predict water shortages, reduce waste and mitigate the effects of natural disasters.
Innovative technologies will transform how we manage water resources. During the federal election, the governing Liberal Party promised a $100 million water security technology fund “to advance Canadian R&D, AI, monitoring, and data tools.” Canada has an opportunity to lead and everyone — all levels of government, private businesses and communities — should be rowing in the same direction.
The connection between water management and other federal priorities runs deep. Take critical minerals, which were spotlighted at the recent G7 conference as essential for sustainable economies. These minerals fuel clean technologies that use less water and generate fewer pollutants, aligning water security with climate goals and energy needs. Similarly, the federal government’s focus on a national power grid in Canada that effectively distributes energy throughout the country would further enhance our collective ability to address water and energy challenges.
The federal government took a giant leap forward when it created the Canada Water Agency last year, thereby recognizing water security as a priority. It was a recognition that Canada’s water governance is fragmented across provinces and territories and lack of data monitoring means river flow rates are largely unknown. Unlike the United States, Canada hasn't yet declared water a matter of national security, but the urgency is clear.
With a mandate to lead and coordinate national efforts to protect fresh water through data-driven policy and collaboration across all levels of government and Indigenous partners, the Canada Water Agency has launched at the right time. Strengthening Canada’s water economy is a nation-building project.
The elephant in the room is our current relationship with the United States concerning shared water resources. While we've enjoyed over 50 years of successful co-management of the Great Lakes, and, similarly, decades of collaboration across other shared watersheds, President Trump indicated he wanted to scrap these agreements and conventions. It's time to strengthen our internal frameworks to reinforce this cooperative dynamic. Better watershed management, grounded in mutual collaboration, will allow both nations to achieve sustainability goals more effectively. Moreover, this partnership holds the potential to expand beyond water, supporting the mineral supply chain critical to renewable technologies and advancing the broader energy transition.
The Canada Water Agency needs the resources to act as a hub of water innovation. It needs to be given the tools to address global, national and continental water issues. That includes a clear mandate, coordinated water policy and robust science and data systems, as well as targeted programs to address contamination, watershed resilience and disaster risk. By doing so, it can create essential pathways for local initiatives that will drive meaningful changes right down to the river basin level.
Ultimately, water security is national security. While the Government of Canada is in a period of budget contraction, now is not the time to throw the baby out with the bathwater through underfunding. The Canada Water Agency can lead the charge toward a new era of water management, turning present difficulties into future possibilities for generations to come.
Ralph Pentland is president of Ralbet Enterprises and a member of Forum for Leadership on Water (FLOW).
Soula Chronopoulos is president of AquaAction and a member of Forum for Leadership on Water (FLOW).
J. Michael Miltenberger is a principal at North Raven and a member of Forum for Leadership on Water (FLOW).
Robert Sandford is senior government relations liaison for Global Climate Emergency Response at the United Nations University Institute for Water, Environment and Health and a member of Forum for Leadership on Water (FLOW).
Ted Yuzyk is director of the International Upper Great Lakes Study Board at the International Joint Commission and a member of Forum for Leadership on Water (FLOW).