Media Release: Failure to invest in BC’s water security poses economic risks, increased community costs, and missed job opportunities

MEDIA RELEASE

March 4, 2025, Victoria, B.C. Lekwungen Territory:

As BC fights back against US tariffs and seeks to build a more resilient economy, proactive management of increasingly scarce water supplies will be absolutely crucial to our economic future, especially as President Trump eyes what he calls our ‘very large faucet.’  

The BC Watershed Security Coalition notes that Budget 2025 missed a vital opportunity to build water security by investing in the workers and community-driven efforts that protect BC’S freshwater sources.

Quotes:

“Amid the turmoil of tariffs we can’t afford to take our water security for granted. Water fuels our economy and sustains our communities. This is a critical time to stand up for Canada’s most precious natural resource and send a strong message to the US President: there is no faucet to turn on in BC. 

Unfortunately, Budget 2025 fails to invest in BC’s watershed workforce, our frontline workers safeguarding and restoring BC’s freshwater sources. BC has seen an 80% drop in funding for watershed work over the past year, putting jobs and communities at risk, and leaving BC’s economy vulnerable to the rapidly rising costs of floods, droughts and wildfires.”

Coree Tull, Chair, BC Watershed Security Coalition

“Interconnected watershed challenges—such as wildfires, droughts, floods, invasive mussels, and the growing demand for new housing—require a collaborative approach involving local, provincial, and First Nation governments. 

Adequate funding for watershed security is not just essential for implementing proactive, community-driven solutions; it also helps to avoid costly crises that strain public resources. Moreover, investing in watershed security will support the economic growth the province needs, creating opportunities for sustainable development while ensuring a resilient and prosperous future for all British Columbians.”

Blair Ireland, Vice-Chair of the Regional District of Central Okanagan, Mayor of the District of Lake Country and Chair of the Okanagan Basin Water Board

“Vital watersheds and wetlands are in peril, threatening fish and wildlife populations as well as people’s homes and public infrastructure across the province. The BC government has cut the proportion of provincial funding for our forests, watersheds, fish and wildlife by 75 percent over the last three decades.  If you care about salmon, drink water, pay taxes or pay insurance, recognize that this short-term thinking will have long-term consequences for every single British Columbian.”

Jesse Zeman, Executive Director of the B.C. Wildlife Federation

Background:

• The BC Watershed Security Coalition is a nonpartisan, diverse coalition of 56 organizations made up of community water experts and leaders in the field, including farmers, Indigenous champions, local governments, and NGO’s representing 255,000 British Columbians.
• Watershed security and the strength of our economy are directly linked. BC’s energy, resource, and housing sectors, along with thousands of small businesses — farmers, craft brewers, tourism operators, and manufacturers — depend on a reliable water supply.
• Coalition polling shows a dramatic rise in public concern over water scarcity and watershed disasters. 64% of British Columbians now fear freshwater scarcity—up from 37% in 2018—and 69% are worried they will personally experience a major water crisis in the coming years.
• The work to keep BC’s watersheds healthy supports more than 47,000 jobs—on par with mining and oil and gas. Frontline watershed workers protect drinking water, mitigate flood damage, advance food security, and create secure and resilient communities.
• Between 2021-24, provincial investments of $57 million in watershed security catalyzed over  1,800 jobs across BC. But funding for watershed security has dropped an alarming 80 per cent compared to 2022 levels. 
• Working with First Nations to strengthen watershed security is critical for reconciliation and to meaningfully advance the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, including Indigenous economic and community development.
• 86% of British Columbians support funding for training and employing workers to monitor, restore, and manage freshwater across the province.