| Montreal, 21/04/1997 – The economic growth, social well-being and the environmental health of border regions in North America are threatened by the mismanagement and pollution of fresh water sources. "On this Earth Day, it is important to focus on our shared responsibility for this critical source of life itself - water," says Victor Lichtinger, the Executive Director of the CEC —otherwise known as the NAFTA Environment Commission— which will soon release the first-ever assessment of cross-border freshwater resources in North America.
"Mismanagement is too often to blame for poor water distribution and worsening water quality," added Lichtinger. "Our research shows that subsidies and other current policies for managing water are partly to blame for the inefficient use of water in North America, especially along the borders."
Canada has 17% of the world’s fresh water resources. Lichtinger notes that having nearly one-fifth of the world’s supply in Canada alone increases the responsibility North Americans have for beings stewards of this invaluable resource. The populations of Canada and the United States are the highest per capita consumers of water in the world.
Echoing recent international attention on water —particularly the problem related to water scarcity and uneven water use distribution— in its upcoming report, the CEC examines freshwater resources, basin-by-basin on both the US-Canadian and US-Mexican borders, and analyzes the impact of pollution, economic and population pressures and the different legal and institutional frameworks for managing water supplies.
"Water management in North America needs to be rethought in light of economic and population growth, inefficient water consumption patterns and the potential impact of climate change," says Lichtinger. "Our new water strategies must keep pace with the demands for a sustainable use of water."
Continuous drought in California in the late 1980s and early 1990s and the recent drought in Southern Texas and Northern Mexico illustrate the economic and social impact of water shortages created by climate variability and aggravated by inefficient uses of water. Similarly, six years ago in California, climate variability resulted in significant economic losses in agriculture. The 1995 and 1996 drought in Northern Mexico destroyed crops and raised salt levels in rivers, killing fish in large numbers. Recent record flooding of the Red River in North Dakota and Manitoba near the Canadian-US border also underscore the potential impact of extreme weather on cross-border fresh water resources and its social, economic and environmental consequences.
The CEC (http://www.cce.cec.org), which is equally funded by Canada, Mexico and the United States, oversees a wide range of cooperation activities aimed at greater environmental protection in North America. |
