Threats to Water Security
FLOW believes Canada needs to improve its water policy and law through the development of an integrated and coordinated Canada-wide strategy that sustains the essence of freshwater resources for the use and enjoyment of all Canadians (see Our Vision). But why is a such a strategy needed? Are Canada’s water resources really threatened? Don’t we have lots of water?
The simple answer is no – we do not have as much water as we think we do. The prevalent ‘myth of water abundance’ in fact, has profound implications for the way governments manage our water. Arguments to invest in conservation, water efficiency and even protecting supplies from contamination are difficult to make if decision-makers and citizens believe in a limitless supply of water. This attitude dominates our perception of water and hinders our ability to manage threats to water security. We therefore begin by providing facts about the Myth of Water Abundance.
Threats to water security in Canada (as outlined in Changing the Flow):
- Unsafe drinking water
- Inefficient use of water supplies
- Polluting lakes and rivers
- Destroying aquatic habitats
- Building dams and diversions
- Potential for bulk water exports
- Climate change
- Groundwater mining
- Energy production
- New pollutants
- Invasive species
