Monday, March 23, 2026
The government of Canada announced March 19 it has released the National Freshwater Science Agenda.
The agenda is the result of two years of engagement efforts led by Environment and Climate Change Canada with input from more than 800 science experts, Knowledge Holders, experts, and science users across governments and sectors, Indigenous organizations, and Canada’s freshwater science community, an Environment and Climate Change Canada release said.
“By deepening our understanding of fresh water, we can better protect it for the people, communities, and ecosystems that depend on it in the future,” federal minister of the environment, climate change and nature Julie Dabrusin said.
“By braiding and weaving together Western and Indigenous science and data, the Science Agenda will help inform and empower the Canada Water Agency to drive the coordinated actions necessary to restore, protect, and responsibly use fresh water in Canada for generations to come,” Canada Water Agency president Mark Fisher added.
The agenda, the release said, outlines interconnected themes including Indigenous science and Knowledge, water availability, land‑use stressors and water pollution, ecosystem resilience and biodiversity, socio‑ecological considerations and economic research.
The agenda was developed in response to public feedback on freshwater priorities during engagement on the creation of the Canada Water Agency and builds on the Synthesis of Freshwater Science in Canada report, published in 2024.
