The new Canada Water Agency—announced in the recent federal Throne Speech—is the first critical step toward transforming how water is managed across the country, said John Pomeroy, director of the University of Saskatchewan (USask)-led Global Water Futures (GWF) program.
“It is great to see policy development like this that is informed by scientific evidence,” said Pomeroy, who also holds the Canada Research Chair in Water Resources and Climate Change at USask.
“In the face of climate change, Canada is facing new and intensifying water challenges that underscore the need for a new approach to freshwater management to keep our precious water resources safe, clean, and sustainable. The federal government has listened to water scientists across the country who have been urging swift action on this front.”
Last year, GWF and its partners issued a public call to action, Water Security for Canadians: Solutions for Canada's Emerging Water Crisis, calling for modernization of Canada's water institutions, governance, policies and legislation to better address and prepare for increasingly extreme floods, droughts, fires and water pollution events.
Continue reading at University of Saskatchewan.
Image via Mark Ferguson, Global Institute for Water Security.