Protecting Groundwater: The Invisible and Vital Resource

Prudent governance of Canada’s groundwater resources is required in the face of numerous challenges. Threats to groundwater include rapid urbanization, recharge rates of aquifers in a changing climate, agricultural intensification and increased contamination, among others. However, overall, Canada has yet to experience large-scale over-exploitation of groundwater resources and much of its groundwater remains of good quality. The time is right to establish the legal, regulatory and management systems, along with the necessary monitoring provisions, to overcome the threats to this valuable resource.