“Enormous strides” have been made in protecting the Great Lakes at the heart of North America, says a report from the International Joint Commission (IJC), but more needs to be done to meet emerging threats. The commission is a body created by the governments of Canada and the United States to jointly manage the many water systems they share.
Drinking water for 40 million
The Great Lakes contain 20 per cent of the world’s fresh water. They are the backbone of a transportation system leading from the centre of the continent, though the St. Lawrence River, to the Atlantic Ocean. And they provide drinking water to over 40 million people.
Governments in both countries have managed to repel treats from large-scale water diversion and excessive consumption, adopting recommendation made by the IJC fifteen years ago.
Governments ‘like a mini-United Nations’
“The eight states and two provinces, acting almost like a mini-United Nations, have come together and, by and large, passed identical legislation and regulation that provides for the protection of these waters,” says Gordon Walker, Canadian chair of the IJC. “That’s why we say this is a very good news story.”
However, efforts to protect the lakes must be strengthened, he says. The IJC recommends governments develop better ways to measure the use of Great Lakes water, and there has to be “adaptive management” to meet the challenges of global warming.
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‘Get ready’ for possible changes
“What that really means is, get ready…We may be seeing some changes as a result of climate change. There’s no doubt that waters are starting to increase in temperature somewhat, and all of these issues present problems on making sure the integrity is maintained,” says Walker.
“Adaptive management means that the decision-making can move very, very quickly.”
The report also recommends more research to map and understand groundwater and aquifers in order to better manage them, and governments need to fix leaking pipes and other infrastructure which waste water.
Great Lakes ‘vital to our way of life’
Walker calls for better collaboration between public and private interests and society in general. “We are all stewards of the water…We have to maintain these Great Lakes. They are vital to our way of life.”