The direct link between climate heating and water security in Canada is clear – at least to those who are open to seeing it. The link between science and science diplomacy between ourselves and our southern neighbours on shared waters, however, is less widely understood. That’s partly because, in the past, cooperation over transboundary waters has been taken for granted. In fact, cooperation between our two countries concerning water security was so exemplary it was held to be a model for the rest of the world. Unfortunately, that longstanding cooperation is no longer a given.
Over the past decades, the myth of limitless water abundance in Canada has been dispelled. What has been revealed is that Canada’s national security is closely linked to its water security and as we share the same continent, our water security is also linked to the water security of our southern neighbour. The tensions with the U.S. in 2025, however, have made it harder for the two countries to work together to ensure people have safe, reliable water.
The first few months of 2025 have been marked by a strain in the relationship between the U.S. and Canada, including challenges to Canadian sovereignty, a growing interest in Canada as a potential water source for the U.S., and a pause in some of the Treaty negotiations for waters that flow across the U.S.-Canada border such as the Columbia River. The dialogue between governments on water management issues has become politicized, and in some cases has stalled, despite the long-standing spirit of cooperation established through binational agreements such as the Boundary Waters Treaty of 1909.
These recent geopolitical changes have substantially increased the urgency and difficulty of finding solutions to water security issues across North America. The key challenges for the U.S. and Canada in terms of providing clean, safe water for drinking, sanitation, food production, and ecosystem services do not go away as we transition to new governments in the U.S. and Canada. We still need to jointly manage the scarcity, contamination, and loss of sustainable water supplies that contribute to health crises, agricultural collapse, migration, and conflict, and to reduce the economic toll of water insecurity, including health care for waterborne diseases and losses in agriculture.
In the face of climate change, population growth, environmental disturbances, and political uncertainty, science is needed now more than ever to understand and quantify water security risks – floods, droughts, and water quality threats – and how these water security risks affect our personal safety, our economy, our environment, and our way of life. We need to be able to quantify the relative merits of new infrastructure versus the value of water information and predictions that enable us to optimize the management of our water and land.
Unfortunately, at the moment, the science needed to make smart water decisions is declining. Cuts to U.S. government jobs and climate research are weakening our ability here in Canada to predict floods and understand long-term water challenges across the continent. To protect vital water resources in North America, the U.S. and Canada need to work together through science to make smart decisions about shared water.
Ongoing U.S.-Canada science collaborations around water will help connect research groups, not just here in the Canadian Rockies, but across North America, and enable us to maintain trust and prepare for better water transboundary management in the future when geopolitical tensions ease.
We are forced now, no matter what, with establishing new mechanisms for ensuring water security in Canada in the face of rising geopolitical tensions with our once-reliable neighbour. The best immediate solution may be to maintain the relationships that still exist between the overlapping scientific communities in our two countries and to use science as a tool of diplomacy at the highest levels of bi-national policy-making. Such acts of science diplomacy can help ensure outcomes that simultaneously address water security concerns in both countries.
Sharing water solutions will help governments make better plans, help businesses manage risks, and give the public timely water forecasts to stay safe and prepared. Investing in science diplomacy will help create smarter water policies, protect Canada’s water, and build a stronger, more secure future for all of North America.
To underscore the need for thoughtful engagement with our southern neighbours over water security, the University of Calgary and the United Nations Institute for Water, Environment and Health are holding a free evening of expert commentary and public engagement over matters related to the future of our precious water resources. The event will be held at artsPlace at 7p.m. on Thursday (May 8).
Bob Sandford is Senior Government Relations Liaison for Global Climate Emergency Response at the United Nations Institute for Water, Environment and Health. He lives, however, in Canmore.
Martyn Clark is Professor of Hydrology in the Civil Engineering Department, Schulich School of Engineering, University of Calgary. Martyn also lives in Canmore.
