Alternative Water Futures in Alberta

• The Parkland Institute released Alternative Water Futures in Alberta on Dec 5, 2011. The report explores the history of water policy in Alberta, current efforts to reform water allocation, issues with applying market mechanisms to Alberta's water problems, and two alternate ways of addressing Alberta's water problems -- as a common-pool resource or as a public trust. The report shows that the water market plans for Alberta provide a poor solution to Alberta's water woes and that non-market solutions would be better for the environment, the public interest, and First Nations.
• Click here for the Parkland Institute media release
• Click here for the executive summary and a link to the report in PDF

Backgrounders

• Backgrounder for Municipalities - a backgrounder on Alberta's Water Allocation Review developed for municipalities
• First Nations' Backgrounder - a backgrounder on Alberta's Water Allocation Review developed with a focus on treaty rights, indigenous rights and First Nations' concerns
• Rural Backgrounder - a backgrounder on Alberta's Water Allocation Review developed with a focus on rural concerns
• Sierra Club's Got Thirst Campaign Backgrounder on Water Markets

Internal government documents revealing water markets will hurt environment

• In August of 2011, the Our Water Is Not For Sale network obtained and released internal government documents and reports which reveal that the provincial and federal governments knew that the water management plan for the South Saskatchewan River Basin (SSRB) would not resolve serious problems, and in fact would worsen the health of the southern river system.
• Click here for the media release
• Click here for the government documents in PDF
• Click here for a background summary on the documents in PDF

Conference Board of Canada Report on Water Markets

• Going With the Flow? Evolving Water Allocations and the Potential and Limits of Water Markets in Canada

International Experiences

• Australian Water Market Disaster - by JE Caldecott, Convenor of the Water Action Coalition
• Water Markets in Chile - This report looks at the effects of water markets in Chile
• Chilean Town Withers in Free Market for Water - a New York Times article on the impact water markets had on a Chilean town

Alberta Government Reports of Recommendations

• Minister's Advisory Group: Recommendations for Improving Alberta's Water Management and Allocation
• Alberta Water Council: Recommendations for Improving Alberta’s Water Allocation Transfer System
• Alberta Water Research Institute: Towards Sustainability: Phase I; Ideas and Opportunities for Improving Water Allocation and Management in Alberta

Further Reading

• Silent lies and the looming Alberta Water Crisis - An Overview of Alberta's water crisis by Dr. Jim Byrne of the University of Lethbridge. PDF copy of Chapter 11, 'Silent lies and the looming Alberta Water Crisis' from the book The Return of the Trojan Horse: Alberta and the New World (Dis)Order. 2005
• Fight to the Last Drop: A Glimpse Into Alberta's Water Future - A 2008 report, produced by Ecojustice and the Bow River Waterkeepers, looking at Alberta's water crisis and issues with water transfers, massive water diversions and brokering of water licences.
• Public Water For Sale: How Canada Will Privatize Our Public Water Systems- A 2011 report, produced by Council of Canadians and CUPE, looking at provincial, territorial, and municipal governments regarding the Canada-European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA).
• Our Right to Water: A People’s Guide to Implementing the United Nations’ Recognition of the Right to Water and Sanitation - A 2011 report from the Council of Canadians, which finds that Canada is legally bound to respect the UN vote, and therefore to address the pressing issue of access to water and sanitation in First Nations communities. It also addresses the conflict between water as a human right with the push towards commodification of water, including through water markets.