March 20, 2008
VICTORIA – British Columbia is investing more than $1 million in water-related funding to support water and fisheries resources, Environment Minister Barry Penner announced on World Water Day.
The international observance of World Water Day is an initiative that grew out of the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development in Rio de Janeiro.
“World Water Day is as appropriate time to remember us just how precious our water resources are to British Columbia,” said Penner. “It’s also a great time to announce a number of projects throughout the province that will help ensure that our water resources are protected and preserved for generations to come."
The grants announced will benefit groups such as the Freshwater Fisheries Society of BC, the Sport Fishing Institute of BC, the British Columbia Conservation Foundation and the British Columbia Water and Waste Association.
“You start to get a feel for the importance of fresh water when you realize that nearly two in 10 people in the world have no source of safe drinking water, and this in itself leads to countless unnecessary deaths every year,” said Penner. “In British Columbia, we’re very fortunate to have fresh water that’s safe to drink, but we need to remain vigilant about protecting water from contamination.”
The grants will support a variety of projects throughout the province, such as assessing fish stocks, mapping groundwater sources, assessing watershed risks caused by mountain pine beetle salvage work, monitoring stream flows and helping First Nations derive more benefits from the inland fisheries resource.
For more information of World Water Day, check online at http://www.worldwaterday.org.
