Canada is often
considered the land of plenty when it comes to
water, but only conservation and innovation will
keep it that way.
That’s why Ivey’s
Lawrence National Centre for Policy and
Management has launched a new report
outlining actions for business, government and
academia to consider in encouraging
conservation, efficiency and economic
competitiveness through innovative water
technologies.
The report,
Water Innovation Forum Report: A
Competitive and Innovative Sector (2011), was
launched at the
Canadian
Water Summit in Toronto on June 14. It is
based on findings from a conference called
Water Innovation Forum: A Competitive and
Innovative Sector held at Ivey January
23-24, which looked at the agri-food sector’s
use of water and its connection to increased
competitiveness and profitability for the
sector.
Dianne Cunningham, Director of the Lawrence
National Centre for Policy and Management, said,
“people often mistakenly believe there is an
abundance of water in the world, particularly in
Canada, when in fact, rapid population growth
and wasteful water use are affecting supplies.”
According to Cunningham, fresh water is an
increasingly precious resource and more research
is needed to determine just how scarce it is.
“We really don’t know (how much water there is).
We don’t have enough good data,” she said. “We
need much more information before we can develop
sound public policies and regulations on water
quantity.”
The report recommends Canada increase its water
measurement and monitoring efforts to gain a
better understanding of the current state of
water resources and potential future demand. It
also urges Canada to invest more in water
infrastructure and new technologies to optimize
water use.
“Our main recommendation to government is that
we have to move quickly when it comes to the
development, use and export of good technology
that’s created right here in Ontario and
Canada,” said Cunningham. “Technology – that’s
what we’re good at. Our farmers grow many more
crops on less acreage and use less water than in
the past. The development of innovative
technology will help Canada to grow globally
competitive companies and provide high-value
jobs.”
For more information on the report and the
conference, please visit
Lawrence National Centre for Policy and
Management, or see Cunningham’s recent
interview with
Water Canada magazine.
