The Challenges Ahead
T he environmental challenges facing Canadians are becoming increasingly complex and interconnected. The more we learn about the relationships between the natural and human-constructed worlds, the greater the need to acquire even more environmental knowledge. And the long-term nature of most environmental issues means that we have an increasing inventory of issues to address. Each decade has brought new environmental challenges and added to the demand for accurate and timely scientific and technological knowledge to support policy-making, international agreements, services, new management practices and technologies, and decision-making by ordinary Canadians. We need new scientific knowledge on emerging issues such as ecosystem impacts of endocrine disruptors and biotechnology, as well as continued work on ongoing or recurring issues such as acid rain and ozone depletion.
Despite the increasing demand for environmental S&T, Environment Canada's S&T capacity has remained relatively static since the reductions to the Department's budget during Program Review in the mid-1990s. At the same time, there have been dramatic increases over the past few years in the resources invested by the Government of Canada in the Canadian S&T system as a whole and in university research in particular. This trend represents a shift in the landscape of Canada's S&T system.
Environment Canada must continue to adapt to this changing landscape and find new ways of managing our S&T capacity to deal with the challenges ahead. It must find ways to coordinate and integrate the environmental S&T performed throughout the Canadian S&T system and focus it on the priorities of Canadians. A strong, integrated environmental science system in Canada is critical to ensuring that S&T, wherever it is performed, provides Environment Canada and all Canadians with information and tools needed to find the most effective and efficient solutions to the challenges of sustainable development.
Environment Canada's funding for science & technology
Note:
Figures shown above do not include one-time R&D grants for initiatives outside the department that did not result in increases in Departmental resources.
Related scientific activities (RSA), such as scientific assessments and data analysis, are performed in support of Environment Canada's regulatory, service and science-based policy responsibilities. Research is often needed in order to ensure the availability of up-to-date scientific knowledge for RSA (e.g., improved atmospheric models for more accurate weather forecasting).
