National Freshwater Science Agenda

Overview

Clean and safe freshwater is essential to the well-being of Canadians. Effective freshwater protection and management depends, in large part, on solid freshwater science to inform decision-making.

Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) is leading the development of a National Freshwater Science Agenda (or “Science Agenda”) – a plan to focus freshwater science in Canada and lay the groundwork for future collaborative science and knowledge mobilization.

The Science Agenda will prioritize, align, and inform collective efforts over the next 10 years to advance freshwater science and knowledge on Canada’s most pressing freshwater challenges. It will be national in scope, yet flexible to respond to regional freshwater science needs. It will also seek to inform freshwater funding and investment opportunities in Canada.

Developed with input from key partners and stakeholders, the Science Agenda will be inclusive, collaborative, and coordinated. It will weave western science and Indigenous science and knowledge systems, and ensure it considers different science needs and perspectives in order to be useful to partners and stakeholders across the country.

The Science Agenda will be evergreen with regular review and updates, conducted in collaboration with key partners and stakeholders, over the next 10 years.

Expected outcomes

The Science Agenda will:

• identify national freshwater science priorities and needs
• guide science providers, knowledge holders, and end-users in addressing priority freshwater science needs in a more coordinated and collaborative way
• provide scientific support to advance the Government of Canada’s freshwater agenda, including the Canada Water Agency and strengthened Freshwater Action Plan
• strengthen evidence-based decision making across freshwater watersheds in Canada

Key partners and stakeholders

ECCC will engage with federal, provincial, territorial, and Indigenous governments, non-government organizations, subject matter experts (including academics and Indigenous scholars), as well as science-users, funders, and other stakeholders to inform development of the Science Agenda.

Discussion paper

Environment and Climate Change Canada, with input from a team of subject matter experts at federal science-based departments, has drafted a paper entitled Synthesis of Freshwater Science in Canada to provide an overview of the current state of freshwater science for 25 key freshwater issues in Canada. This paper will also serve as a foundation for discussion to inform development of a National Freshwater Science Agenda.

Contact information

For more information: PSNED-NFSA@ec.gc.ca