This is one of the best files because we are not starting from scratch since the expertise is already out there.
It is fair to acknowledge that over the last 10 or 15 years, efforts and intentions in this area have decreased on both the scientific and political levels. More recently, following trends we observed in the Prairies in particular, with agriculture and recurring droughts in British Columbia and Ontario, as the deputy minister mentioned a little earlier, we've noticed that people are becoming more interested and more concerned again about this issue.
There is an obvious relationship with climate change. As temperatures rise, evaporation and drought occur. This situation in turn triggers all kinds of unknown factors which really didn't exist even 20 years ago, not only in public awareness but also among experts. The last time the federal government studied that matter was at the end of the 1980s with the Pearse Commission. But since then, there have been relatively few federal initiatives.
The provinces have made various efforts. We noted that this was the case for Quebec, Ontario and British Columbia. Today, Alberta is very interested in this area and is in touch with the resources sector, and in particular with stakeholders in the oil sands. But more can be done.
I would like to mention in passing that the Senate committee chaired by Mr. Banks published a report on this very subject last winter. So there is a basis from which you could build.