The CBC reports this afternoon that, “Canada’s approach to managing its water resources is outdated, a government think-tank on the environment said in a report Thursday.”
“In a report titled Changing Currents, the National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy concludes Canada is ill-prepared to effectively manage its water resources to ensure sustainable economic growth. The report says sharing jurisdiction over monitoring and managing water between several levels of governments causes potential confusion among businesses that need water for their production.”
“(The report) reviews water use by the agriculture, forest, mining, electricity and oil and gas sectors. Combined, Canada’s natural resource sector is expected to grow by between 50 and 65 per cent by 2030. The natural resource sectors studied in the report are the greatest water users and consumers across Canada. In 2005, collectively, they accounted for approximately 84 per cent of Canada’s gross water use — the total volume withdrawn from water bodies.”
“The report falls short of concrete proposals to implement. Rather, it serves as a launch pad for a discussion to come as early as Thursday in Mississauga, Ont., where the Canadian Water Summit is taking place. The report will be followed by a second report, which will make policy recommendations to deal with water issues identified in the current volume.”
The Council of Canadians will be reviewing this report. We have consistently called for a new national water policy for Canada. More on that at http://canadians.org/water/issues/policy/index.html.
The full report can be read at http://www.nrtee-trnee.com/eng/publications/changing-currents/changing-currents-eng.php.
The CBC news article can be read at http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2010/06/17/water-use-industry.html#ixzz0r8SfNyPD.