WC146 JanFeb 2026 - Magazine - Page 7
Survey 昀椀nds Canadians value freshwater, but lack understanding
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A NEW NATIONAL SURVEY suggests
Canadians view freshwater as the
country’s most important natural
resource, yet most don’t feel they know
enough about it.
The poll, commissioned by Montrealbased non-profit AquaAction,found just
over half ranked freshwater as Canada’s
top natural resource, but only onequarter felt “very informed” about it, and
more than one-third said they felt poorly
informed.
AquaAction says the results point
to a widening gap between how highly
Canadians value freshwater and how
well they understand the threats that face
it—including contamination, drought,
flooding and ongoing Indigenous water
crises. The findings echo a similar 2021
federal survey and will inform a national
water literacy campaign the organization
is developing with education partners
and support from the federal
government.
Concern about water quality remains
widespread but not urgent: more than
70 per cent of respondents said they are
concerned about water quality, but fewer
than one-third expressed strong concern.
Only 15.8 per cent rated current water
protections as “excellent.”
Motivations around water protection
were tied largely to health and the needs
of future generations, with economic and
aesthetic factors ranking far lower. Twelve
per cent of respondents reported no personal connection to freshwater, a finding
AquaAction says speaks to how “invisible”
water systems can be in daily life.
The survey also flagged public
communication challenges. Terms
like “water security” and “water crisis”
resonated strongly, while unfamiliarity
with basic words such as “watershed”
suggested gaps in public understanding.
The results of the survey will help
shape new K–12 learning modules
AquaAction is developing aimed at
boosting water literacy and encouraging
long-term behaviour change.
Over half ranked freshwater as
Canada’s top natural resource, but only
one-quarter felt “very informed” about
it, and more than one-third said they
felt “poorly ” informed.
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WATER C AN ADA • JANUARY/ FEBRUARY 2026
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