Preventing Canada’s Water from Disappearing Down the Drain
27-Jul-2011CALGARY – July 27, 2011. Two new publications released by the Canada West Foundation examine the current and future state of Canada’s water supply and the impact that market-based instruments in water resources management have on policy innovation.
Charging for Water Use in Canada: A Workbook of the Central Principles, Key Questions, and Initial Steps by Casey Vander Ploeg and Larissa Sommerfeld, provides a workbook that outlines the questions policymakers must answer in order to build a comprehensive water system from interviews of 42 water policy experts in Australia, Canada and the United States.
Our Water and NAFTA: Implications for the Use of Market-Based Instruments for Water Resources Management by Victoria Coffin, David W. Poulton and Casey Vander Ploeg, determines whether using market-based instruments as a solution for water allocation will impact Canada’s participation in the North American Free Trade Agreement.
“Canadians are some of the heaviest users of water in the world and we also pay some of the lowest prices for that water. Yet, the nation’s current supply of clean and safe freshwater is not guaranteed given the prospect of climate change and our critical water and wastewater infrastructure in many areas of the country is in a clear state of disrepair,” noted Vander Ploeg. “More rational and appropriate pricing strategies for water are one way to resolve some of these concerns.”
Canada’s water supports diverse and significant ecosystems, is essential to almost all aspects of the economy and has great social and cultural significance. With that said, global trends including climate change, population growth and urbanization are creating apprehension about the future of one of our greatest resources. By creating a comprehensive framework for water management, we will be able to successfully manage coming stresses and strains on Canada’s water supply.
Canada West Foundation is the only think tank dedicated to being the objective, nonpartisan voice for issues of vital concern to western Canadians. For 40 years, through its research and commentary, the Foundation has contributed to better government decisions and a stronger Canadian economy.
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For copies of Charging for Water Use in Canada: A Workbook of the Central Principles, Key Questions, and Initial Steps or Our Water and NAFTA: Implications for the Use of Market-Based Instruments for Water Resources Management, visit www.cwf.ca.
For more information or to arrange an interview, please contact:
Grace Kucey
Communication & Media Manager
403-700-9535 communication@cwf.ca