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Albertans have not too long ago been confronted with a triple whammy of water crises.
On Feb. 20, the province declared the beginning of wildfire season, 10 days sooner than regular as a consequence of this season’s heat temperatures, which have been compounded by the truth that giant elements of Alberta are underneath extreme or excessive drought.
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On Feb. 23, the Crowsnest River in southern Alberta was reported to have run dry upstream of Cowley. (The declare was later disputed, with the halted water circulate being blamed on ice buildup.) The Crowsnest River is a tributary to the Previous Man, which has seen record-low river ranges and very low reservoir ranges this yr.
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Whereas many Albertans have been astonished by these two bulletins, the Alberta Vitality Regulator additionally introduced in an inside letter that it had accepted preliminary purposes and is open to public hearings for the controversial Grassy Mountain coal mine on the Jap Slopes, a mission that has already been twice rejected. An utility for a water diversion licence has been submitted.
What does the potential coal mine should do with water? Coal mines use 250 litres of contemporary water and about 750 litres of recycled water per tonne of coal produced. In line with estimates, Grassy Mountain will divert 1.125 billion litres of freshwater per yr from the Previous Man watershed.
Although separate tales, this demonstrates the interrelatedness of our crises. Alberta is experiencing a vital water scarcity, and quick motion is required. We’d like a brand new holistic method to water that appears on the cumulative results and interconnections between utilization and provide. This method additionally wants to contemplate the function of local weather change in driving each elevated water utilization and drought.
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The federal government has taken some steps to sort out the disaster by creating a brand new Drought Advisory Committee earlier this month. This committee, nevertheless, poorly represents the range of stakeholders and communities affected by drought, and doesn’t embrace water and/or drought researchers.
The dearth of scientists is troubling however not stunning contemplating the federal government’s acceptance of current suggestions to contemplate “non-scientific proof throughout an emergency.” Surroundings Minister Rebecca Schulz has failed to say the impact of local weather change on Alberta’s long-term droughts. As a substitute, she blamed El Niño, a periodic system related to heat dry climate, even whereas a bunch of scientists in her very division printed analysis warning of utmost drought in Alberta as a consequence of international warming.
The federal government has additionally began, as of Feb. 1, unprecedented negotiations with present water licence holders, who function underneath a “first in time, first in proper” system. However all negotiations are occurring behind closed doorways, with no indication of whether or not adjustments in water licensing are forthcoming.
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Alberta wants an unbiased water board that has tooth and the power to make coverage, licensing and emergency selections, separate from the federal government and Alberta Vitality Regulator. An unbiased board would assure transparency and extra substantial inclusion of stakeholders, communities and specialists.
An unbiased board may handle the province’s water licences and sophisticated water licence switch system, and embrace Indigenous communities, trade, agriculture, tourism, scientists, wildfire specialists, and a restricted variety of municipal and provincial authorities members.
There may be already a precedent for unbiased water boards in Canada, within the Yukon and Northwest Territories, the place water co-governance is remitted by fashionable treaties. Whereas these techniques have limitations, they might be constructed and improved upon.
The federal government already enormously advantages from its partnership with the Alberta Water Council, Watershed Planning and Advisory Councils and Watershed Stewardship Teams. Why not present these collaborators the chance to behave immediately and authoritatively via an empowered water board?
If water actually is “a life supply” as the federal government describes it, all Albertans ought to be taking a way more lively function in its governance than they’ve been allowed to do.
It’s time that Albertans get critical about our water, as a result of the results of the crises are simply getting began.
Dr. Sabrina Perić is an power anthropologist, affiliate professor on the College of Calgary and the co-director of the Vitality Tales Lab.
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