Canada Should Change the Way It Manages Its Fresh Water Resources

Canada Should Change the Way It Manages Its Fresh Water Resources

Introduction

Canada is among the world largest supply of fresh water resources. The country accounts for about 7% of the global fresh water supply. The country is also one of the largest users of fresh water resources. The country uses almost two times the amount of water that is consumed in most European countries. Most of the Canadian waters are consumed in the industrial and agricultural sector. Currently, the responsibility of managing water resources has been split between the federal, provincial and municipal government. This disintegrated approach has resulted in poor management of water resources.

Water in Canada

Canada is endowed by vast fresh water resources. The country accounts for over 7% of the global supply of fresh water.  These largely attributed to the heavy precipitation that the country receives and the rugged landscape that hold water thus leading to the creation of water bodies (Hipel, Miall & Smith, 2011). Canada has hundred of fresh water bodies including the great lakes and numerous other lakes. The country is also home to over 25% of world wetlands and the largest coast line in the world. Besides the numerous water bodies, the low temperatures in most part of the country makes the process of evaporation slower. Thus, most of the water that is contained in Canadian water bodies remains in these bodies.

Despite the rich endowment of water resources, Canada still experiences some water problems. This problem is largely attributed to unequal supply of water sources within the country.  Spatial distribution of water is not equitable (Hipel, Miall & Smith, 2011). The Northern regions are arid and new desert, while the Southern coastal areas are extremely wet. Most of Canadian fresh water is found in the arctic region and is, therefore, inaccessible for immediate use by the population. Only water that is available in Southern regions of the country is available for immediate use. The Southern regions are relatively drier than most parts of the world. This implies that, though Canada might have a large reservoir of fresh water, the water that immediately available to the population is limited.

Canadian water problems also originate from the large consumption of water resources. Water is an indispensable resource in any part of the world. This resource is used for various purposes including; home consumption; power generation; industrial use and for agricultural purposes (The Conference Board of Canada, 2012). Canadians are heavy consumers of fresh water. Canadian is the second largest consumer of fresh water in the world, behind the United States. The amount of water consumed by Canadian is at least double the amount consumed in the European countries. Thirty percent of Canadians depend on ground water for drinking while 80% of individuals living in the rural areas depend entirely on ground water.

Agriculture and industries account for the largest consumption of water (Hipel, Miall & Smith, 2011). In recent years, industrial development has led to increased demand for water. Establishment of urban centers has also resulted in increased demand for fresh water. In the past few decades, the human population in Canada has increased (Hipel, Miall & Smith, 2011). This has led to development of urban areas, as well as, growth in the industrial sector in order to satisfy the needs of the expanding population. Growth in population also led to increased demand for food. This meant that the country had to expand its agricultural resources.

Use of Water in Agriculture

Agriculture is a vital economic sector in Canada. The prairie provinces of Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta are Canada’s food baskets (Environment Canada, 2012). These regions are popular for the production of wheat. Despite the significance of these regions, in terms Agriculture, these regions are relatively dry and are characterized by seasons of droughts. For instance, while the pacific and Atlantic coastal regions usually receive an average of 1300 millimeters of rain per year, the prairie regions receive a paltry amount of 350 millimeters of rain every year (The Conference Board of Canada, 2012). The drought situation in the region has been compounded in recent days by global warming. The situation is further compounded by increasing human populations in these regions, which has resulted in competition for the already scarce resource.

In order increase agricultural production, humans been forced to seek for alternative sources of fresh water (Environment Canada, 2012). One of the available options is to modify river basin so as they can divert water into the farms. People have also resorted to getting water from wetlands and riparian areas. This has consequently led to the destruction of the wetlands. Destruction to the water resources has been compounded by pollution of water bodies by fertilizers and other agricultural chemicals that are washed away from the farms.

Use of Water in Industries

            The industries are also a vital economic sector in Canada. These industries employ thousands of Canadians; produce essential goods and promote the country’s trade. However, industries are also among the country’s largest consumer of fresh water. Statistics indicate that industries consumed a total of 5,219 million cubic meters of water in 2007 (Statistics Canada, 2010). The largest proportion of this volume was consumed by the paper industry, which accounted for 37.7% of total volume. Metal; chemical; coal and petroleum industries also accounted to a significant position of the consumption volume.

Increased population growth has led to increased demand for industrial goods. Consequently, more industries have been developed leading to increase in the consumption of water (Statistics Canada, 2010). Most industries, 74%, obtain water from ground sources such as rivers and lakes. This has resulted in drainage of these ground water sources. Industries have also led to destruction of water sources through pollution.

Water Management in Canada

            The Canadian people manage their water resources at various levels. The federal government is responsible for managing water resources at the national and international level (Hipel, Miall & Smith, 2011). The federal government collaborates with territorial and provincial government in managing national water resources. The federal government also collaborates with other friendly government with which it shares water resources in the management of these resources. Canada has particularly formed a unique partnership with the United States in order to enable the efficient management of the numerous water bodies shared by the two countries.

The constitution places most of the responsibilities of managing resources on the provincial and municipal administrations. The provinces are considered to be the owners of natural resources including; water; land and other properties (Roy, Oborne & Venema, 2009). Therefore, the provinces are responsible for regulating the flow, use and development of these resources. They license water use and water discharge activities. Though this approach has been efficient in ensuring that local people get an opportunity to manage their own resources, the strategy has been ineffective in promoting the efficient utilization and control of fresh water resources. Most water bodies are shared among municipalities and provinces. The micromanagement of water has seen these transversal resources being managed different in different regions.

Integrated Management Approach

In order to promote sustainable use of fresh water resources an integrated management approach is required. This approach should introduce systemic thinking in the management of water resources (Roy, Oborne & Venema, 2009). These means the new approach should view have a broader view of the impacts of developing water resources. The new approach must also balance the demand for water between; economic; social and environmental needs. Existing systems appear to lay more emphasis on economic and social needs of water and have neglected the environmental significance of water (Corkal & Diaz, 2011). While it is paramount to ensure that water continues to support social and economic activities such as; power generation and agriculture, there is also a need to ensure that this resource is utilized efficiently. Water is a vital part of the ecosystem and, thus, failure to observe the needs of the ecosystem may result in the self destruction of this system.

Integrated approach to the management of water resource should focus on promoting water use efficiency (Roy, Oborne & Venema, 2009). Responsible stakeholders should ensure that industrial and agricultural sectors have introduced technologies that promote efficient utilization of water resources. The new management system should also introduce strict monitoring and analysis of water resources. Canadian water resources should be keenly monitored. Technology should be applied to enable analysis of geological and hydrological systems.

Conclusion

            Water is an essential resource to Canadian economic and social systems. Canadian water resources are mainly managed by provincial and municipal administration systems. Most of the existing management systems have focused on optimizing the use of water in the realization of economic and social goals. These systems have overlooked the systemic importance of water and thereby, promoting unsustainable use of this resource. In order to overcome this challenge, an integrated approach toward the management of water resources needs to be adapted.

References

Corkal D. & Diaz H. (2011). Changing Role in Canadian Water Management Decisions and Data Sharing. October 6, 2012.  http://www.oecd.org/tad/sustainableagriculture/45058352.pdf

Environment Canada (2012). Withdrawal Uses. October 6, 2012. http://www.ec.gc.ca/eau-water/default.asp?lang=En&n=851B096C-1

Hipel K. Miall A. & Smith D. (2011). Water Resources in Canada: A Strategic Viewpoint. October 6, 2012. http://www.powi.ca/pdfs/other/Canada%20White%20Paper%20on%20Water-August%202011.pdf

Roy D. Oborne B. & Venema H. (2009). Integrated Water Resources Management in Canada. October 6, 2012. http://www.iisd.org/pdf/2009/iwrm_agriculture.pdf

Statistics Canada (2010). Industrial Water Use 2007. October 6, 2012. http://www.gov.mb.ca/waterstewardship/licensing/wlb/pdf/water_statistics/sc_water_use_industrial_water_use_2007.pdf

The Conference Board of Canada (2012). Water Consumption. October 6, 2012. http://www.conferenceboard.ca/hcp/details/environment/water-consumption.aspx

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