Canadian & World Issues

1. Solving Food Shortages2. A Watery World

Hydrologic Cycle

atmosphere 0.0001% surface storage (rivers, lakes) 0.02% groundwater/ soil water 0.5% glaciers 1.9% oceans 97.6%

How much of this is useful for humans? How do humans use water? Which countries have water available?

Canada's Water Use

Electricity52%

Municipal11%

Manufacturing27%

Mining2%

Agriculture8%

#1 Greenland 10,767,900 cubic meters/ capita/ annum

#2 French Guiana 812,121 cubic meters #3 Iceland 609,319 cubic meters #4 Guyana 316,689 cubic meters #5 Suriname 292,566 cubic meters #6 D.R. of the Congo 275,679 cubic meters #7 Papua New Guinea 166,563 cubic meters

#8 Gabon 133,333 cubic meters #9 Solomon Islands 100,000 cubic meters #10 Canada 94,353 cubic meters

Canada

Solomons & Papua

New Guinea

D.R. Congo & Gabon

Greenland

Iceland

Guyana, Fr. Guiana, & Surinam

Many rivers and some of the largest lakes in the world lie along, or flow across, the border between the United States and Canada

In fact, the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River system contains one-fifth of the world's surface fresh water

First international treaty between Canada and the US signed in 1909 was Boundary Waters Treaty

International Joint Commission (IJC) was created to “help prevent and resolve disputes relating to the use and quality of boundary waters”

IJC has six members – three from the US and three from Canada – who follow the Treaty as the prevent or resolve disputes on water use on either side of the border

The current Chair of the Canadian Section of the IJC is The Right Honourable Herb Gray of Windsor, Ontario

The current Chair of the US Section of the IJC is Mr. Dennis Schornack of Michigan

And guess where they’re

looking to quench their

thirst?!

Read the title article from

Maclean’s and answer the

questions that follow it.

A summit has been called regarding the supply of freshwater in the Middle East

You will each represent a country and will try and make decisions with delegates from other countries about freshwater supplies.

Resources:◦ Briefing Notes◦ Map◦ Hotspots+ Additional Research (gathered from other sources)

Regional Hotspots◦ The Jordan River◦ The Yarmouk River◦ The West Bank Mountain Aquifers◦ The Euphrates River

The Players◦ US◦ Syria◦ Jordan◦ Palestine

– Israel– Iraq– Turkey