ARCHIVED - Water Issues and NRCan Activities

Freshwater: The Role and Contribution of Natural Resources Canada

This section of the report provides an overview of water issues of relevance to NRCan's four principal sectors (earth sciences, energy, forestry, and minerals and metals) as well as departmental operations. Information on the Department's organization is included in Appendix 1.

• Earth Sciences
• Water Issues and Earth Sciences:
  • Groundwater availability and quality
  • Climate change
  • Glaciers
  • Drought
• Water-Related Earth Sciences Sector Activities:
  • Groundwater Program
  • Reducing Canada's Vulnerability to Climate Change Program
  • Geomatics for Sustainable Development of Natural Resources Program
  • Climate Change Impacts and Adaptation Program
  • Natural Hazards and Emergency Response Preparedness Program
  • Sustainable Development through Knowledge Integration - Pathways Project
  • Legislated Environmental and Resource Assessments (LERA)
  • Metals in the Environment Program
• Program highlights: 1
  Oak Ridges Moraine research contributes to Ontario water-resource management and land-use policy
• Program highlights: 2
  Reducing the Vulnerability of Canada's Water – RCVCC Program Projects
• Energy
• Water Issues and Energy:
  • Oil and gas industry
  • – Water use in conventional oil recovery
  • – Use of water in oil sands development
  • Thermal and nuclear power plants
  • Hydroelectric power generation
• Water-Related NRCan Energy Sector Activities:
  • Water use in oil and gas production
  • – CANMET Energy Technology Centre tailings research
  • – Science and technology development
  • Small hydroelectric power technology
  • – Renewable Energy Technologies R&D Program
  • – Renewable Energy Policy and Market Development
  • – The Canadian Renewable Energy Network
• Forestry
• Water Issues and Forests:
  • Forest hydrology research
  • Timber harvesting impacts on watersheds
  • Forest products manufacturing
  • Water use and wastewater in mills
• Water-Related Canadian Forest Service Activities:
  • Effects of forest practices on water quantity and quality
  • Effects of pollution on watersheds
  • Effects of pesticides on water quality
  • Effects of forest product manufacturing
• Minerals and Metals
• Water Issues and Minerals and Metals:
  • Water use in mining
  • Water quality
  • Water use in aggregate operations
  • Water use in diamond mines
• Water-Related Minerals and Metals Sector Activities:
  • Assessment tools
  • Treatment technologies
  • Stewardship and safe use
  • Suppression of acid mine drainage and toxic releases
• Water Issues and Activities in NRCan Operations
  • Water Use in Operations
  • Wastewater Management
• Appendix 1 : Departmental Mandate and Organization
• Appendix 2 : Sustainable Development Strategy - 2004-2006 Water Commitments