Media Centre

CWF Brings Water Issues to International Conservation Forum in Spain

October 1, 2008

Water Resources

• Add a source of water to your yard

• Monitor Marine Migrants

• Learn about Ocean Life on the Move

• Plan Your Shoreline Project

• Use our Shoreline Habitat Report Card

• Adopt an urban waterfront

• Celebrate Rivers to Oceans Week

• Live in harmony near water

• Order our 2009 Calendar to celebrate everything from World Water Day to Canadian Environment Week.

The Canadian Wildlife Federation will be making a splash with its Water Under Fire public service announcements and webisodes at the IUCN World Conservation Congress in Barcelona Oct. 5-14.

“Declining water quality and quantity will be one of the biggest issues facing this country and the world in coming years,” says Wade Luzny, Executive Vice-President of the Canadian Wildlife Federation. “Adequate supplies of clean water are critical for both human and wildlife populations and our Water Under Fire PSA and webisode series can help everyone understand this essential resource and how to conserve and protect it.”

More than 8,000 of the world’s decision makers in sustainable development will be at the IUCN conference in Barcelona to debate and decide solutions for the world’s most pressing environment and development issues. This includes representatives of governments, academia, the public sector, UN agencies and social organizations. CWF staff from Montreal, Ottawa and Regina will attend the forum along with Dr. Rick Mrazek, a professor from the University of Lethbridge who spearheaded the Water Under Fire PSAs and webisode. Mrazek and CWF will present the Water Under Fire “Conserve and Protect” video in English, French and Spanish at the World Conservation Congress Water Pavilion. DVDs will be distributed along with other CWF promotional materials directing the public to the CWF website, where Water Under Fire PSA’s, webisodes and curricula can be downloaded free of charge.

“Canada has about one-fifth of the world’s water supplies so it’s up to us to lead the way in new and innovative educational approaches to conservation,” says Luzny.

The world’s rivers, oceans and lakes are bombarded by threats: pollution infests ecosystems with harmful chemicals, pesticides encourage underwater plant growth that absorb mass amounts of oxygen, acid precipitation can throw off the balance in watery ecosystems, and oil spills wipe out wildlife that rely on these water to survive. Moreover, climate change drives up water temperatures, dams stop fish from making the trek to spawning and feeding grounds, and over fishing threaten whole species of fish, shellfish and plants.

“Water is under fire but we can do something about it. We all have to think about our activities and how they impact wildlife and habitat and make a personal commitment to conserve and protect water, ” says Luzny.

Watch an interview with CWF's Rick Bates at the IUCN »

About the Canadian Wildlife Federation:

The Canadian Wildlife Federation is dedicated to fostering awareness and appreciation of our natural world. By spreading knowledge of human impacts on the environment, sponsoring research, promoting the sustainable use of natural resources, recommending changes to policy and co-operating with like-minded partners, CWF encourages a future in which Canadians can live in harmony with nature.