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Chapter Summary
The world and Canada face significant challenges related to water. Nevertheless, opportunities for innovation exist. This chapter discusses the human interventions in the hydrological cycle through water diversions, using the James Bay hydroelectric project as a case study, and the controversies over water exports, diversions, and other options. The human impact on water quality is examined through point source and non-point source pollution. The challenges with protecting the quantity and quality of water to ensure water security for humans are discussed with an emphasis on the contamination of a community water supply system in Walkerton, Ontario, lead in urban water supply systems in Canadian cities, and Indigenous water security. Water security can be achieved through various approaches. The best known are supply management and demand management, but an emerging approach is called “soft path.” In addition, virtual water and water footprints are relevant concepts when discussing water security.
Attention then shifts to water as hazard, directed both to floods and droughts, as well as to the mix of approaches (structural, non-structural) applied to reduce the risk and damage created by each. As a way to promote and conserve rivers, the Canadian Heritage Rivers System is examined. Integrated water resource management is introduced as an approach to address some of these challenges, using the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement and Protocol as a case study to illustrate the opportunities and challenges in implementing an integrated approach. Finally, the need for and challenges with water ethics and water rights are discussed, concluding with the challenges to claiming Indigenous rights to water in Canada. Ten water conservation initiatives are also provided as examples of what you can do to address some of these challenges.
Learning Objectives
After reading this chapter, you should be able to do the following:
- Discuss the water endowment in Canada
- Describe the hydrological cycle
- Outline the environmental and social impacts associated with water diversions
- Outline various perspectives related to water export from Canada
- Describe the significance of point and non-point sources of pollution
- Describe the concept of “water security”
- Discuss the concept of a “multi-barrier approach” to the protection of drinking water
- Discuss the challenges and opportunities regarding water security on Indigenous reserves
- Recognize the difference amongst supply management, demand management, and the soft-path approach
- Explain the concept of “virtual water” and “water footprint”
- Explain how water is both a resource and a hazard
- Differentiate between structural and non-structural approaches to flood damage reduction
- Explain the significance of droughts
- Illustrate the significance of heritage related to the protection of aquatic systems
- Explain the importance of integrated water resource management (IWRM)
- Discuss the evolving ideas related to “water ethics”
- Understand perspectives related to the issue of “water as a human right”