Environment committee  The study you're referring to, I think, is the one that came out two weeks ago from Yale University and Environment and Climate Change Canada. It pointed out that there had been monitoring only on a section of potential air pollutants and we had not been looking for many other air pollutants that are less present in conventional oil but are very present in unconventional oil, so the oil sands.

Environment committee  I would like you to tell me in a bit more detail about the direct impact of climate change on groundwater. Might it increase the concentration of contaminants?

Environment committee  That is a good question. It is probably true in some cases. The impact of climate change on groundwater is felt mainly when it comes to replenishment. We are having shorter winters, less snow melt in the spring and lower levels the following summer. That can all have effects on water chemistry.

Environment committee  I ask you that because I know that studies are being done in the forestry sector about carbon sequestration and capture from the perspective of climate change. In the medium and long term, the forest would sequester more carbon than we think within the soil. So the impact from that leads me to assume that a similar logic could be applied to groundwater.

Environment committee  My experience in looking at the disappearance of groundwater around the world is one that really points to a need for joint surface and groundwater management and for using groundwater far more efficiently. I think that within Canada we will see increasing demand for groundwater because of climate change, because of the increasing variability and, as one of the other witnesses said, because of the very likely need to probably have to expand irrigation infrastructure to maintain sustainable food production.

Environment committee  We also know that groundwater is subject to numerous pressures, such as increased pumping, urban sprawl, agricultural intensification and climate change. These pressures can lead to drops in groundwater levels, the drying up of watercourses and wetlands in summer, and a decline in groundwater quality. We are only just beginning to quantify these impacts and their effects on human uses of groundwater and on ecosystems.

Environment committee  Our research has shown that, globally, freshwater availability has changed dramatically over the last 22 years. It is literally shrinking in the face of climate change and a growing population. In fact, the fresh water that runs off the continents from ice, permafrost and glacial melt, because of the over-exploitation of groundwater, now contributes more each year to sea level rise than the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets.

Environment committee  We want to take the opportunity today to draw your attention to the importance of the nuclear sector in climate change and to let you know what our position is, at a very high level, on the importance of water. The study of fresh water and the impacts of climate change on this important resource being undertaken by the committee is both very timely and important.

Environment committee  Thank you for the opportunity to speak today as we discuss the fresh water study in the face of climate change. My name's Coree Tull. I'm the co-chair of the BC Watershed Security Coalition. We're a non-partisan coalition representing 50 organizations and 255,000 British Columbians from all corners of the province.

Environment committee  Climate adaptation is very important. Climate change is causing a drastic increase in water consumption by industries, agriculture and urban centres. This has a major impact on climate change, such as snow cover in the winter. It also affects global warming and causes the water cycle to accelerate and evaporate.

Environment committee  We need to pick up our game on fresh water. We need leadership on how to deal with these climate change and drought impacts. Here's a list of things to consider: We need national coordination, new investment, and novel technology—such as the environmental prediction mentioned—to help predict floods, water quality and droughts and to identify properties and infrastructure at risk in the future.

Environment committee  It's a good question and a difficult one to answer. There are a lot of uncertainties and unknowns with respect to climate change. However, for the most part, on a personal and professional level, I don't see a lot of good things happening, especially for the cold-water, sensitive and more vulnerable fish species that come to mind.

Environment committee  We know that these extreme weather events are not anomalies and can be expected to happen more frequently with climate change. I'll pass the rest of the time over to Justine.

Environment committee  The co-operative institute will do this by developing a computational prediction framework that will serve as a shadow system for the operational systems employed by Environment and Climate Change Canada and the provinces and territories, enabling scientists from both the research and operational communities to rapidly develop and evaluate new modelling and prediction methods.

Environment committee  We can certainly do this between provinces. We will have to in order to adapt to the stresses that climate change puts on our fresh water moving forward. Thank you.