7377

• UCREFRP Catalog Number: 7377
• Author: Kusler, J. A. and S. Daly.
• Title: Wetlands and River Corridor Management.
• USFW Year: 1989.
• USFW - Doc Type: \
• Copyright Material: NO

From Theory to Practice:
Promoting Policy and Actions Towards
Sustainable Development on Canada's Wetlands
C.D.A. Rubec and M.R. McKechnie
Environment Canada
INTRODUCTION
The world community has begun the process of
accepting and incorporating sustainable develop-
ment into the day-to-day life of business and
government. For Canada, the principles of sustain-
able development are inextricably linked to the
objective of articulating a national response to
the initiative of the world Commission on Environ-
ment and Development (Brundtland Commis-sion).
There are several well stated definitions of
sustainable development. Two include:
Humanity has the ability to make development
sustainable -- to ensure that development
meets the needs of the present without com-
promising the ability of future generations
to meet their own needs" (world Commission
on Environment and Development 1987).
Development which ensures that the utiliza-
tion of resources and the environment today
does not damage prospects for their use by
future generations (National Task Force on
Environment and Economy 1987).
Canada's wetland resources also provide a
significant contribution to our national economy
each year. Recent estimates (Rubec 1987; Rubec et
al. 1988) indicate that their total economic value
exceeds $10 billion each year. Non-consumptive
recreation (photography, hiking, bird watching);
recreational and commercial hunting and trapping;
forest, peat, wild rice and hay harvesting; water
quality and flood control enhancement; market
gardening; and shoreline protection are some of
the economic activities that greatly benefit by
the presence and ecological functions of wetlands.
Figure 1 shows some of the major values provided
by Canadian Wetlands.
WHAT WILL SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
OF WETLANDS DO FOR CANADIANS?
Since Canada has such a significant amount of
the world's wetland resources, it has a special
responsibility to promote stewardship of these
wetlands. The wise application of sustainable
development principles to wetland conservation
will benefit Canadians in many ways. These
benefits include:
Wetland conservation will be a prominent compo-
nent in Canada's National Conservation Strategy
(Pollard and McKechnie 1986). This paper reviews
the status of Canadian wetlands, the rationale and
benefits for application of sustainable develop-
ment principles to wetland conservation, and
outlines the leadership role Canada is taking to
promote healthy resources for future generations.
Federal leadership initiatives include the Federal
Policy on Wetland Conservation, the North American
Waterfowl Management Plan, national wetland
conservation actions across Canada, and support
for wetland science and networks.
CANADA'S WETLANDS IN PERSPECTIVE
Wetlands within Canada's borders cover over 127
million ha (National Wetlands Working Group 1988)
and comprise about 24% of the total global wetland
resource, estimated by Matthews and Fung (1987) to
be in the order of 530 million ha. Canadians are
fortunate to have such a significant amount of the
world's wetlands. In fact, these wetlands are of
significant value to the environmental and socio-
economic mosaic in which Canadians live. Wetlands
provide a major portion of the nation's fresh
water supply, serve as significant pollution
sinks, and protect groundwater supplies, as well
as provide extensive watershed and shoreline pro-
tection, water quality enhancement, and wildlife
habitat functions.
- augmentation of waterfowl populations and
improvement in wetland habitat quality for
wildlife;
- promotion of soil and water conservation
leading to reduced soil erosion, improved
quality of groundwater, and less degradation of
the national agricultural base;
- reduction of shoreline storm damage and
watershed flood impacts;
- buffering of the effects of drought and long-
term climate change;
- improvement of coastal and estuarine shell-
fish and fish habitats and harvests;
- protection of the continental freshwater
supply;
- improvement in the quality and availability
of urban recreational lands; and
- reduction in the impacts of non-point source
pollution and acid rain.
STATUS OF CANADIAN WETLANDS
What is the status of wetlands in Canada?
Current trends and results of monitoring studies
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