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Exclusive interview with Jim Prentice, federal Minister of the Environment As part of our special issue on water, Environment Minister Jim Prentice sat down for an interview with Policy Options Editor L. Ian MacDonald. Their half-hour conversation also touched on climate change and how to reduce emissions in Canada, North America and worldwide, all in the run-up to December’s COP15, the UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen. "Canadians overwhelmingly choose water as our most important natural resource" by Nik Nanos In our latest Nanos-Policy Options poll for this special summer issue on water, contributing Writer Nik Nanos finds that Canadians regard fresh water as the resource that is most important for the country’s future — by a surprisingly wide 3-1 margin over oil and gas. Furthermore, “from the point of view of self-identification, water is at the very top of the list.” Canadians don’t mind being seen as “drawers of water,” he writes, for that’s how they see themselves. "Water security: Canada's challenge" by Karen Bakker Can Canadians count on long-term, steady access to sufficient supplies of water that is of acceptable quality for humans without damaging the environment? No, writes Karen Bakker: “Simply put, our water is not secure,” she says. “The wild card in the water world is climate change, which most experts predict will exacerbate water quality and water availability problems.” But Canada, she insists, has the capacity to respond to this challenge. In this article, she assesses the state of Canada’s water, summarizes what we should worry about, explains how we got into this situation, and suggests a few key strategies that would get us out of it. "A Canadian vision and strategy for water in the 21st century" by Rob de Loë The importance of water for Canada’s environment, economy and society is increasingly recognized by citizens, governments and corporations, observes Rob de Loë. Over the past decade, water has gained prominence on the political agenda, and new actors have emerged. However, he cautions, there is a lack of national coordination, which jeopardizes our ability to respond to the complex waterrelated challenges and opportunities. There is now a consensus that there needs to be an action-oriented, pan-Canadian vision and strategy. After reviewing the positive developments of the last few years, de Loë outlines the main features of such a strategy, which would include “acknowledgement of shared responsibility for water in Canada; a flexible and adaptive approach; and a strategic stance that focuses on areas where a national perspective is needed, and where the benefits of collaboration are evident.” "Drinking water and waste water: a primer" by Harry Swain Canada’s record regarding drinking water is, on the whole, not a bad one, writes Harry Swain, but it could surely be improved. While the technology for drinking water treatment has been standardized for over a century and is likely “the greatest single advance in public health in the history of mankind”, there are still two important problems with it: it works cheaply only for big systems and it does not challenge many of the new chemicals discarded into the environment. Here he provides a quick primer of drinking water treatment and suggests three further reforms to improve our record: consolidation of small systems into larger ones, creation of financially competent water and wastewater utilities and increased R&D effort on the new threats to aquatic environments. "Water pricing: infrastructure grants hinder necessary reform" by Steven Renzetti and Colin Busby Canadians are the heaviest water consumers in the world and this, according to Steven Renzetti and Colin Busby, is the immediate consequence of low water prices. In this article, they critically examine Canadian pricing policies and argue that current practices lead to overconsumption, inadequate conservation and lack of innovation. They also examine how capital grants from senior governments reinforce these inefficiencies: “recent injections of cash to build and repair municipal water and wastewater infrastructure, in spite of any desirable short-run economic effects, may only put off addressing other overarching problems.” They look at recent data that suggests some progress is being made and they review the further steps needed to improve Canada’s record. “The main challenge in reforming water prices is to provide the correct signal to consumers of supply costs while avoiding any potential negative effects on low-income households.” "L'approche par bassin versant : le cas du Québec" by Alexandre Brun In Canada, as in most Western nations, water management through watersheds is now common. And with the adoption of the National Water Policy in 2002, Quebec may be the Canadian jurisdiction where this integrated management principle has been formalized to the greatest extent says Alexandre Brun. In this article, he examines the origins of the policy and its implementation, and gives it a mixed review. He says the environmental gains are still difficult to quantify, and until recently, funding for watershed organizations was insufficient. Because the government has failed to adopt a licence fee system, which is essential to funding the policy, it “has deprived itself of an incentive factor that is central to integrated management,” he concludes. "Water challenges in oil sands country: Alberta's Water for Life Strategy" by Lorne Taylor In 2003, the Government of Alberta launched its Water for Life Strategy in pursuit of the three interrelated goals of ensuring a safe and secure drinking water supply, improving the health of aquatic ecosystems, and ensuring a sustainable and prosperous economy. Six years later, what has the strategy improved, if anything? Lorne Taylor, who is currently chair of the Alberta Water Research Institute and who fathered the strategy as Alberta environment minister in the early 2000s, presents a report card. Innovation and research will be vital to improving water management practices, especially when it comes to oil sand production, he says, and it will require leadership as well as significant financial investments. Fortunately, he concludes, “the province currently has both, and will reap tangible and meaningful benefits as a result.” "Agricultural water policy challenges in BC" by Hans Schreier In June 2008, the Government of British Columbia announced its new water plan, “Water Smart Living.” Hans Schreier, of the Faculty of Land and Food Systems at University of British Columbia, critically examines the plan’s likely impact on water conservation and water quality, particularly in the province’s agricultural sector. He concludes that “when it comes to water management, BC is truly the Wild West, and this new initiative is a good but very timid first step to improve our archaic water regulations.” Without a much more aggressive approach to water conservation, water reallocation and water quality, he says, “we will continue to practice crisis management.” "Transferts massifs d'eau au Canada : entre mythe et réalité" by Frédéric Lasserre The issue of large-scale water exports continues to spark heated debate in Quebec, as well as in the rest of Canada and the United States. However, Frédéric Lasserre affirms that these proposals are not a real cause for concern because of the evolution of the demand and the poor return on investment they offer. While there have been large-scale water transfers in Canada, they were primarily done for hydroelectricity, and not for export. In this article, he reviews the development of water export proposals in North America, and suggests that now that the relevant legislations have been adopted and that outdated supply-side strategies have been abandoned in favour of demand-side management, their achievement is more hypothetical than ever. "The future of Canada-US water relations: the need for modernization" by Ralph Pentland It is well known that Canada and the United States share the longest unguarded border in the world. What is less well known is that much of that border is actually water. Ralph Pentland examines Canada-USA transboundary water relations and observes that they are relatively healthy, compared with those in most other parts of the world. But in recent years that relationship has become more fragile and less predictable, he says, and we need to reexamine what conditions need to be met to optimize it. As a contribution to that dialogue, he offers three suggestions: eliminate the distraction of the bulk water export issue; enhance the effectiveness of the International Joint Commission; and base water policy in the two countries on the highest common denominator. "The international system for water management: plethora, paucity, whisky and worry" by Margaret Catley-Carlson There are currently more than 260 international shared watercourses in the world, and most of them still lack adequate legal protection. “The amazing thing about international water governance and effective water dispute resolution mechanisms, is that more often than not, they are not there,” writes Margaret Catley-Carlson, Chair of the Global Agenda Council of the World Economic Forum. Here, she examines how the world currently manages and resolves water problems and concludes that progress in this area is slow. While history shows that acute violence over water issues is rare, the number of conflicts could increase as countries come up against tighter water limits due to climate change. “Shared, complex and well understood systems for arbitrating water disputes within countries and between countries,” are therefore more imperative than ever before. "Water and the future of Canada's natural resource sectors" by David McLaughlin Canada’s natural resource sectors accounts for 15 percent of the total GDP, about 50 percent of total exports, and directly employ nearly 1 million Canadians; it is also the largest user of water in the country, accounting for 22 percent of water consumption. In other words, “our interrelationship with water extends beyond our taps and tubs and into our economy” writes David McLaughlin, president of the National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy. Here he shows how the sustainability of our natural resource sectors and our prosperity are closely tied to the sustainability of our water supply, and he identifies several key challenges that need to be addressed in order to preserve and protect it: “Without water to draw, we can hew no wood, mine no coal, drill no oil, or farm no field.” "Nunavut and the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement - an unresolved relationship" by Barry Dewar A key member of the federal negotiation team on the Nunavut land claim from 1979 to 1993, Barry Dewar recounts here the fascinating story of the unfolding of the negotiations that ultimately led to the signing of the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement (NCLA) in 1993 and the adoption of the Nunavut Act. It is a story of stalemates and slowdowns, but also of breakthroughs, compromises, trust and commitment. “To outside observers” he writes, “it may have appeared that the creation of the Nunavut Territory and the resolution of the Inuit land claim unfolded as part of a coordinated master plan for changing the future of northern Canada. But for those working inside the federal system, the reality was very different. Nunavut and the NLCA were pursued as separate, and at times conflicting, initiatives.” "Negotiating and implementing the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement" by Terry Fenge and Paul Quassa Paul Quassa and Terry Fenge, chief negotiator and research director, respectively, of the Tungavik Federation of Nunavut, which negotiated the 1993 Nunavut Land Claims Agreement, recall how Inuit “who were enfranchised federally only in 1960 and who were largely seminomadic until the early to mid-1960s and had very few formally educated leaders,” successfully negotiated a modern treaty “that literally changed forever the face of Canada.” They identify pressing and unresolved problems in implementing this agreement and other modern treaties, and conclude that a formal policy is needed to ensure that federal agencies fulfill their implementation obligations and responsibilities. "Nunavut, un bilan des 10 premières années" by Thierry Rodon “Born out of the Inuit people’s desire to regain control of their lives by establishing their own government and by obtaining the recognition of their territorial, political and social rights, Nunavut is not a territory like the others,” writes Thierry Rodon. On the occasion of its tenth anniversary, he looks back at this experience and takes stock of the first decade. “The Nunavut Government has managed to become functional,” he concludes, “but it has failed to improve in a significant way the quality of life of the majority of the population.” Rodon describes the governance structure of the territory, divided between Inuit organizations and the territorial government, and then presents the main issues that have marked these first years, namely the creation of a representative civil service, the decentralization of services, the construction of an education system adapted to the local culture and the protection of Inuit language. "The prince and the pauper - Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated and the Government of Nunavut" by Michael Mifflin Why has Nunavut not been able to address the severe social problems still experienced by its population or create the conditions necessary to free itself from complete financial dependence on the federal government? In this article, Michael Mifflin argues that a key element of the answer to this question lies in the parallel public/Inuit governance structure that exists in Nunavut. There is a mismatch between the responsibilities of the territorial government and its regulatory and financial capacities, according to Mifflin. He examines Nunavut’s structure of governance and proposes two short-term and two long-term solutions for the future. “All that is needed is for Nunavut’s leaders to finish the great nation-building project that they started by empowering their own Nunavut government with the same powers and resources given to every other province in Canada,” he writes. "Coordinated policy is the new 'must have'" by Todd Hirsch [summary not available] "The role of the governor general: time to revisit the visits" by Jack Stilborn Although the controversy over a potential coalition government and the hasty prorogation of Parliament last December has waned, the possibility of minority governments, volatile parliaments, the strategic use of prorogation and votes of no confidence have not. In this context, argues Jack Stilborn, Canadians need to achieve a measure of consensus about how to respond to and what to expect from the governor general when governments lose the confidence of the House. Clarification about what is and what is not acceptable “would be especially useful concerning issues such as the length of a prorogation, its timing in relation to a preceding election and/or the commencement of the Parliament to be prorogued, and the effect of the prorogation on the broader functioning of parliamentary government.” Stilborn explores what these “rules of the game” might be, and considers a possible role for the chief justice of Canada. "Securing the public health realm: re-envisioning Canada's role in the new century" by Kumanan Wilson The emergence of a new pandemic influenza strain has once again reminded the world of its collective vulnerability to pathogens that can rapidly cross borders. In this article, Kumanan Wilson examines the strategies that the international community has formulated to help reduce the risk of global health emergencies, and argues that Canada has a unique opportunity and a responsibility to take the lead in improving international health security. To that end he puts forward a blueprint outlining priorities for Canada. Acting upon this blueprint would, he writes, “protect Canadians, improve human security, be consistent with Canadian values, provide economic opportunities for this country and help the world’s most vulnerable.” Book Excerpt: Blue Thunder by Bob Plamondon How does Stephen Harper, in his second term as prime minister, measure up to his Conservative predecessors, from John A. Macdonald to Brian Mulroney, on leadership attributes ranging from nation building to party unity? In this exclusive excerpt from his new bestseller, Blue Thunder, Bob Plamondon takes the measure of Canada’s 22nd Prime minister. Book Review: Adam Daifallah reviews Blue Thunder by Bob Plamondon [summary not available] Book Review: James Allan Evans reviews Who We Are: A Citizen's Manifesto by Rudyard Griffiths [summary not available] Book Review: Emmanuelle Richez reviews True Patriot Love: Four Generations in Search of Canada by Michael Ignatieff [summary not available] "L'hypocrisie organisée" by Alain Noël [summary not available] |
