The Privy Council spent $34,291 polling Canadians about whether climate change could leave the country without enough fresh water, with results showing about a third believe Canada may eventually face shortages.Blacklock's Reporter says the March 18 research by Toronto-based Forum Research Inc. surveyed 2,275 people nationwide on drought, water restrictions and the future availability of fresh water.“Insights will enable the Government of Canada to further develop and refine water-focused policy,” said the report Understanding Canadians’ Attitudes And Behaviours Towards Water Use.Researchers said the subject was “important to the Privy Council.”Asked how likely they believed drought was in their local area within the next five years, 63% of respondents either considered it unlikely or expressed no opinion.Canadians were also asked about the prospect of government-imposed water restrictions.“How likely or unlikely is it that mandatory water restrictions will occur in your local area in the next five years?” pollsters asked.Only 16% considered mandatory restrictions “very likely,” while 68% expressed no concern.The survey also asked respondents whether they agreed with the statement: “Canada will not have enough fresh water to meet its needs in the future.”A total of 34% agreed, 29% disagreed and 35% expressed no opinion.Concern was higher when Canadians were asked specifically about climate change.Sixty-seven per cent agreed with the statement: “Climate change will impact freshwater quality and supply in Canada.”Another 74% agreed that “Canada needs to be better prepared to predict and respond to water-related emergencies.”The report did not specify what prompted the Privy Council to commission research into fears of future drought and water shortages..The Canada Water Agency says Canada possesses approximately 20% of the world's surface fresh water.Statistics Canada previously described the country's renewable freshwater supply as enormous, although water availability varies significantly by region.A 2010 Statistics Canada report, Freshwater Supply And Demand In Canada, said Canada's average annual renewable freshwater supply amounted to “almost as much water as there is in Lake Huron.”“Total water withdrawals” represented about 1% of the country's annual renewable supply, according to the report.Statistics Canada cautioned that availability was uneven across regions including the Prairies, Pacific Coast, Great Lakes provinces and Atlantic Canada.The water survey follows similar Privy Council research into Canadians' concerns about future food shortages.Federal polling in 2024 found some Canadians worried climate change could disrupt domestic food production despite Canada's longstanding position as a net food exporter.“A number worried that more unpredictable weather patterns and extreme temperatures could ultimately result in the destabilization of food production in Canada, leading to food shortages in the decades to come,” said the report Continuous Qualitative Data Collection Of Canadians’ Views.A 2023 Leiden University study meanwhile ranked Canada among the world's more agriculturally self-sufficient countries based on the share of national land required to feed its population.The study, Producing All Our Food Nationally: Is It Even Possible?, calculated Australia required 2.8% of its land base to feed its population, followed by Argentina at 5.5%, New Zealand at 7.4%, Canada at 12.7% and the United States at 13.2%.
