Mr. Speaker, March 22 is World Water Day. This year, the theme for World Water Day is “Shared Water, Shared Opportunities”. It aims at highlighting the unique challenges of waterways that cross the political borders between countries.
The world’s 263 transboundary lake and river basins cross 145 countries and cover nearly half of the Earth’s land surface. This is to say nothing of the massive reservoirs of freshwater in underground aquifers.
In view of growing pressure on the world’s freshwater from population growth, pollution and climate change, it is important, now more than ever, that we work together both within Canada and on the international stage to protect our water resources.
World Water Day gives me the opportunity to call on the government to take the issue of water seriously and to create, in Canada, a truly national water strategy.