A new Fraser Institute report advocates for the benefits and opportunities presented by bulk water exports and suggests Canada move beyond the fear mongering and protectionism that has long tainted the discourse.
The report is titled Making Waves: Examining the Case for Sustainable Water Exports from Canada.
"Canada is blessed with abundant supplies of unspoiled surface water and groundwater, and bulk exports can be undertaken in an environmentally sustainable way," said report author Diane Katz, Fraser Institute director of risk, environment, and energy policy.
The report details that misconceptions about water supply and water quality have inhibited a fact-based consideration of the economic and public health benefits that could result from water export, not only for Canadians, but also for water-starved people around the world.
The report provides an overview of global water supplies and Canada's hydrology, including current patterns of water use, as well as a review of the laws and regulations that govern the resource. Water diversions and transfers, both past and present, are summarized, as are the benefits of and challenges to water exports.
"Canada has the third largest reserves of renewable fresh water, after Russia and Brazil. But artificially low residential and industrial water rates do not encourage conservation or the best use of this resource," Katz said.
"International trade in bulk water would lead to responsible pricing, encouraging conservation and increasing the overall sustainability of Canada's water supplies."
The report concludes with recommendations for policy reforms.
“Bulk water exports can improve water valuation and conservation in Canada, as well as help people in water-poor regions around the world. Canadian governments need to enact water policies based on facts, not on the basis of protectionism or unfounded claims of environmental destruction," said Katz.
"Where clean water is scarce, the human toll is tragic. Experience elsewhere suggests a variety of means by which water exports can be undertaken in sustainable ways."
Source: Fraser Institute
