In summary, #water #emergencies are best avoided by good #long-term #monitoring of water flows and #quality, preserving the #eastern slopes for the #natural #retention of water, and #planning for #sustainable #demand through water #modelling that accommodates #climateChange scenarios and maintains #healthy flow #regimes for aquatic #ecosystems. Relying on ad hoc inter-basin #transfers of water to meet #unsustainable demand is not an adequate response in the long term.

22/24

"... This is especially evident in respect to responding to #water related #emergencies through inter-basin #transfers.”

- Powell, Kwasniak, Barber, Luo, 2024

https://ablawg.ca/2024/10/10/the-alberta-emergency-statutes-amendment-act-2024-surges-executive-powers-under-the-water-act/

21/24

“We believe that the day-to-day rule of #law #governing #water and #environmental #management could be #comprehensive and #flexible enough to set out legislated courses of #action to deal with #true, unexpected #emergencies related to water. If there are to be #Executive #powers related to such emergencies, they should be clearly defined and limited and their exercise should be appealable. #Emergency #response is not the place to tuck huge, practically unlimited Executive power...

17/24

The #management of holdbacks for #water #transfers is a small but important #mechanism of maintaining #river flows in over-allocated basins and under diminished flows due to the impacts of #climateChange. Relying on the largesse of decision-makers to meet #future instream flow needs puts aquatic #health at #risk.

#Emergency Statutes Amendment Act, 2024 (Bill 21):

The Emergency Statutes Amendment Act amends three acts to give the #province more #authority during #emergencies.

14/24