LEARN
Here you will find a collection of websites for learning more about the UN Sustainable Development Goals, the Water Action Decade, related water crises, and Canada's role in it all. If you have additional links that you feel should be included here, please let us know via email.
WEBSITES
UN Water
One of UN-Water’s key objectives is to provide coherent and reliable data and information on key water trends and management issues. During past decades, several initiatives, mechanisms and programmes, both within and outside the United Nations family, have been collecting information on the various components of the water cycle.
SDG 6 Global Acceleration Framework
The SDG 6 Global Acceleration Framework aims to deliver fast results at an increased scale. The UN system and its multi-stakeholder partners, driven by country demand and coordinating through UN-Water, will unify the international community’s support to countries for SDG 6.
The SDGs Explained for Business
The new Global Goals result from a process that has been more inclusive than ever, with Governments involving business, civil society and citizens from the outset. We are all in agreement on where the world needs to go. Fulfilling these ambitions will take an unprecedented effort by all sectors in society — and business has to play a very important role in the process.
Towards Canada’s 2030 Agenda National Strategy
Consistent with implementation plans developed by other countries, this interim document is a first step toward establishing the structures, processes and activities that need to be in place to move the 2030 Agenda forward in a coordinated, transparent and accountable manner. It also highlights the various actors involved and the partnerships, innovation and investment required to achieve these SDGs.
2015 Paris Agreement within the UN Convention Framework on Climate Change
The Paris Agreement was adopted by all 196 Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change at COP21 in Paris on 12 December 2015. In the agreement, all countries agreed to work to limit global temperature rise to well below 2 degrees Celsius, and given the grave risks, to strive for 1.5 degrees Celsius. Implementation of the Paris Agreement is essential for the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals, and provides a roadmap for climate actions that will reduce emissions and build climate resilience.
2015-2030 Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction
The Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030 (Sendai Framework) was the first major agreement of the post-2015 development agenda and provides Member States with concrete actions to protect development gains from the risk of disaster.
2015 Addis Ababa Action Agenda on Financing for Development
The Action Agenda establishes a strong foundation to support the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. It provides a new global framework for financing sustainable development by aligning all financing flows and policies with economic, social and environmental priorities.
Water Movement
Water Movement (WM), founded by Indigenous operators, is a leader in addressing Canada's water crisis. It empowers individuals involved in resolution by fostering peer connections and knowledge sharing through a platform with over 100 training videos. WM aims to unite operators nationwide to learn and address shared challenges.
REPORTS
Canada in a Changing Climate: National Issues report
As Canada faces ongoing climate change, it’s important to have a national perspective on the effects it has on our communities, environment and economy, as well as on how we’re adapting.
This report focuses on climate change themes that are nationally important and that benefit from an integrated, pan-Canadian perspective. Read it if you want to know more about Canada’s key vulnerabilities regarding climate change, the specific risks and challenges we face, Indigenous knowledge and perspectives, and new and innovative approaches to adaptation. Our report also clarifies knowledge gaps and summarizes information on emerging issues.
Canada’s Changing Climate Report
Published in 2019, this report is about how and why Canada’s climate has changed and what changes are projected for the future. Led by Environment and Climate Change Canada, this document is the first of a series to be released as part of Canada in a Changing Climate: Advancing our Knowledge for Action. It documents changes across Canada in temperature, precipitation, snow, ice, permafrost and freshwater availability as well as in Canada’s three oceans.
Freshwater Key Biodiversity Areas in Canada - Informing species conservation and development planning in freshwater ecosystems
It is expected that the information and data provided in this report will help guide conservation actions and management, development of policies and make informed decisions regarding development activities that may impact freshwater ecosystems in Canada.
WWF-Canada’s 2020 Watershed Reports: A national reassessment of Canada’s freshwater
Human activities are stressing Canada’s watersheds and a lack of comprehensive, open access water data means little to no knowledge of how those threats are impacting watershed health. In 2017, WWF-Canada completed the first-ever national assessment of Canada’s watersheds. We examined four indicators of health and seven indicators of threat to assign overall scores to each watershed. In 2020, WWF-Canada reassessed the health indicators for Canada’s 167 sub-watersheds to better understand the current state of our freshwater health.
Progress on Level of Water Stress – Global baseline for SDG indicator 6.4.2
The global indicator on water stress tracks the level of pressure that human activities exert over natural freshwater resources, indicating the environmental sustainability of the use of water resources. A high level of water stress has negative effects on social and economic development, increasing competition and potential conflict among users. This calls for effective supply and demand management policies. Securing environmental flow requirements is essential to maintaining ecosystems healthy, resilient and available for future generations. This indicator addresses the environmental component of the target 6.4. In this report, you can learn more about the baseline situation for water stress.
Progress on Water-Use Efficiency – Global baseline for SDG indicator 6.4.1
The global indicator on water-use efficiency tracks to what extent a country’s economic growth is dependent on the use of water resources, and enables policy- and decision-makers to target interventions at sectors with high water use and low levels of improved efficiency over time. This indicator addresses the economic component of the target 6.4. In this report, you can learn more about the baseline situation for water-use efficiency.
Progress on Wastewater Treatment – Piloting the monitoring methodology and initial findings for SDG indicator 6.3.1
Leaking latrines and raw wastewater can spread disease and provide a breeding ground for mosquitoes, as well as pollute groundwater and surface water. In this report you can learn more about wastewater monitoring and initial status findings.
Progress on Ambient Water Quality – Piloting the monitoring methodology and initial findings for SDG indicator 6.3.2
Good ambient water quality ensures the continued availability of important freshwater ecosystem services and does not negatively affect human health. Untreated wastewater from domestic sources, industry and agriculture can be detrimental to ambient water quality. Regular monitoring of freshwaters allows for the timely response to potential sources of pollution and enables stricter enforcement of laws and discharge permits. In this report you can learn more about water quality monitoring and initial status findings.
Progress on Integrated Water Resources Management – Global baseline for SDG indicator 6.5.1
Integrated water resources management (IWRM) is about balancing the water requirements of society, the economy and the environment. The monitoring of 6.5.1 calls for a participatory approach in which representatives from different sectors and regions are brought together to discuss and validate the questionnaire responses, paving the way for coordination and collaboration beyond monitoring. In this report you can learn more about the baseline situation for IWRM.
Progress on Water-related Ecosystems – Piloting the monitoring methodology and initial findings for SDG indicator 6.6.1
Ecosystems replenish and purify water resources and need to be protected to safeguard human and environmental resilience. Ecosystem monitoring, including that of ecosystem health, highlights the need to protect and conserve ecosystems and enables policy- and decision makers to set de facto management objectives. In this report you can learn more about water-related ecosystem monitoring and initial status findings.
Progress on Transboundary Water Cooperation – Global baseline for SDG indicator 6.5.2
Most of the world’s water resources are shared between countries. These transboundary waters create social, economic, environmental and political inter-dependencies that make cooperation a precondition to sustainable development and peace. SDG indicator 6.5.2 measures cooperation on both transboundary river and lake basins, and transboundary aquifers. In this report you can learn more about the baseline situation for transboundary water cooperation.
WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Program for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (JMP) – Progress on household drinking water, sanitation and hygiene 2000 – 2020
The WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Program (JMP) for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene report – Progress on household drinking water, sanitation and hygiene 2000 – 2020 – presents estimates on household access to safely managed drinking water, sanitation and hygiene services over the past five years, and assesses progress toward achieving the sixth sustainable development goal (SDG) to ‘Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all by 2030’. For the first time, the report also presents emerging national data on menstrual health.
Summary Progress Update 2021: SDG 6 — water and sanitation for all
This report has been produced by the UN-Water Integrated Monitoring Initiative on SDG 6 (IMI-SDG6), which brings together the United Nations organizations that are formally mandated to compile country data on the SDG 6 global indicators. Through IMI-SDG6, the United Nations seeks to support countries in monitoring water- and sanitation- related issues within the framework of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and in compiling country data to report on global progress towards SDG 6. An important part of this work is to provide standardized methodologies for monitoring the different indicators, to ensure that data are comparable across countries and over time.
The United Nations world water development report 2021: valuing water
The current status of water resources highlights the need for improved water resources management. Recognizing, measuring and expressing water’s worth, and incorporating it into decision-making, are fundamental to achieving sustainable and equitable water resources management and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Water in the World We Want
UNU-INWEH and UNOSD, together with our partners at the Global Water Partnership and McMaster University, have undertaken an analytical exercise to identify what implementation to achieve proposed Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) will look like at the country level. This initiative directly builds upon a global assessment of the role of water in sustainable development that we concluded in 2013. Findings of this country-based study, combined with the underlying evidence are presented in this policy brief.
Canada’s Implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development - Voluntary National Review
Canada’s Voluntary National Review underscores the Government of Canada’s commitment to implement all 17 SDGs and the principles that underpin the 2030 Agenda, including “leaving no one behind.” As Canada’s first review, this report takes stock of national actions, achievements and challenges, and identifies next steps in implementing the 2030 Agenda.
A Canadian North Star: Crafting an Advanced Economy Approach to the Sustainable Development Goals
Advanced economies such as Canada are unaccustomed to tracking their progress against comprehensive international benchmarks like the SDGs—let alone organizing policy efforts to achieve them. This paper presents a framework for doing so. Throughout, we aim to present concepts to inform strategies, instead of delving into specific policy details. As part of this, we differentiate between issues to be tackled at home, those to be tackled abroad, and those on which domestic actions contribute to collective global outcomes. Throughout, we emphasize the difference between issues that are currently “on track” for success and those that need a breakthrough. This informs a subsequent distinction between where “business as usual” might be satisfactory and where new approaches are required.
Report Series: Where Canada Stands
In order to provide a fuller picture of sustainable development in Canada – one that takes into account our country’s geographic and demographic diversity – the British Columbia Council for International Cooperation (BCCIC) decided to complete the Where Canada Stands Report Series from the perspective of civil society in Canada. These reports assesses SDG implementation in Canada through the guiding question: “who is getting left behind?” For each SDG under review, both the national and sub-national contexts were considered through regional analysis and the presentation of case studies. Experts interviewed in these areas represent Indigenous communities, universities, think tanks, NGOs, CSOs, youth, industry, and various levels of government. The case studies were selected to represent a diversity of regions, and to highlight success stories where targets were met and no one was left behind.
Water Security for Canadians: Building the Canada Water Agency
Canada is facing new and intensifying water challenges in the 21st century that demonstrate the need for a new approach to freshwater management. Addressing these challenges and ensuring that Canada’s waters are healthy, sustainable, and resilient to climate change requires modernized federal freshwater leadership.
Water Security for Canadians: Solutions for Canada’s Emerging Water Crisis
This concept note outlines how the federal government can provide leadership and better exercise its jurisdiction to help prevent Canada’s emerging water crisis. It proposes a number of specific and achievable activities that will position Canada as a global leader in water prediction, management and sustainability.
RESEARCH ARTICLES
Balancing clean water-climate change mitigation trade-offs
Energy systems support technical solutions fulfilling the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goal for clean water and sanitation (SDG6), with implications for future energy demands and greenhouse gas emissions. The energy sector is also a large consumer of water, making water efficiency targets ingrained in SDG6 important constraints for long-term energy planning. Here, we apply a global integrated assessment model to quantify the cost and characteristics of infrastructure pathways balancing SDG6 targets for water access, scarcity, treatment and efficiency with long-term energy transformations limiting climate warming to 1.5 °C.