IAGLR submits brief on Canada’s National Water Security Strategy

Oct 23, 2026

IAGLR submitted a brief to the Canada Water Agency outlining our priorities for the development of Canada's National Water Security Strategy. The brief recommends establishing a clear, operational definition of water security that treats ecosystem health as a foundational element rather than a secondary outcome, and that embeds a commitment to First Nations water security, including sustained investment in water and wastewater infrastructure and Indigenous capacity building, throughout the strategy. IAGLR further recommends grounding the strategy in science and multiple knowledge systems supported by effective, accountable governance; adopting an ecosystem-based, watershed-scale approach to water management; and prioritizing shared and transboundary waters, including the Great Lakes–St. Lawrence system, given mounting risks from shifting U.S. policies, changing water demands, and climate-driven hydrological change.