001-40_WC_144_SEPT-OCT25_PT - Flipbook - Page 34
WATER SECURITY
Water shortages
in Canada?
Drought and rising demand threaten
Metro Vancouver’s water supply despite
conservation e昀昀orts
BY MIRAE KIM, YU XIA AND SARAH ELIZABETH WOLFE
C
ANADA’S WATER is our most precious—
and coveted—resource. We may have water
in abundance but we aren’t immune to freshwater shortages and Canadians are some of
the world’s highest domestic water consumers.
Metro Vancouver’s average water consumption is 270
litres per person per day (lpd), which is higher than
the Canadian average of 223 lpd. Yet by the 2050s, the
western mountains’ anticipated snowpack depth—a
significant drinking water source for Metro Vancouver—is projected to decrease by 60 per cent. The
combined effects of longer, drier summers, population
growth, and reduced snowpack are anticipated to strain
the existing water supply during periods of high temperatures and increased water demand.
Sarah Elizabeth Wolfe is a Professor
in the School of Environment and
Sustainability at Royal Roads
Yu Xia is a recent graduate of
Royal Roads University’s Master of
Environment and Management program.
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WATER C AN ADA • SEP TEMBER/OCTOBER 2025
Getty Images
Mirae Kim is a recent graduate of
the Royal Roads University’s Master
of Environment and Management
WAT E R C A N A D A . N E T
