Friday, May 29, 2026
Provincial funding and a new data tool will help communities prepare for and respond to water shortages caused by drought, announced the Nova Scotia government.
Applications for the Sustainable Communities Challenge Fund are now open, with priority given to projects addressing drought and water shortages. The province also launched a water resources data portal with information on Nova Scotia’s ground and surface water resources.
“Projections tell us that drought and water shortages remain a risk because of global climate change,” said Timothy Halman, Minister of Environment and Climate Change, in a news release. “Water conditions in Nova Scotia are changing. Drought, heavy rainfall and other events can affect water availability, water quality and infrastructure. Informed, collaborative and innovative action, however, can make our communities resilient to drought periods and water shortages.”
The funding and portal are designed to help communities become water resilient—prepared for dry periods so that when water is limited, impacts are smaller, easier to manage or avoided altogether.
Eligible projects include community wells (new or expanded), backup water systems such as cisterns or large-scale water storage containers for essential buildings, community water conservation infrastructure such as rainwater harvesting and non-potable water reuse systems, engineering and hydrogeological studies, regional or shared water supply solutions including pipelines, and nature-based water management using plants, soil and wetlands.
About $6.3 million is available in this funding round for municipalities, non-profit and community organizations, post-secondary institutions and Mi’kmaw communities. The deadline to apply is July 23, with pre-screening information due by June 25.
The water resources portal consolidates existing data on groundwater, rivers, lakes, water quality and weather conditions from provincial monitoring networks, making it easier for municipalities, academia, researchers, industry and residents to understand water conditions, trends and patterns.
“The Sustainable Communities Challenge Fund will continue supporting projects across Nova Scotia in response to the growing impacts of climate change,” said Juanita Spencer, CEO of the Nova Scotia Federation of Municipalities, in a statement. “From coastal adaptation to water resilience, we look forward to supporting more creative and community-led projects that address region-specific needs.”
Featured image: Water storage projects are among the initiatives that will be given priority in the new round of funding from the Sustainable Communities Challenge Fund. (Province of Nova Scotia / File)
