Published on Jul. 28, 2025, 11:24 PM
Climate change is a driving factor, according to Paula Dawe
Running out of water on an island in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean may seem like an impossible idea — but that’s exactly what’s happening in Newfoundland.
Paula Dawe, a scientist with the province’s water resources management team, says more than 40 of the division’s water monitoring stations are showing lower levels than normal and 10 of them are at all-time lows.
Although that may come as a shock, Dawe says it shouldn’t.
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“A lot of what we’re seeing right now is what was predicted in the climate change projections about … 20 years ago,” Dawe said.
“[We knew] the temperatures were going to be increasing in Newfoundland and Labrador, that stream flow was going to be lower, that waters were going to be warmer in the summer, that there would be less snowpack and it would be melting earlier.”
According to Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s data, parts of the island are experiencing moderate drought, as shown by the orange colour. The yellow sections mark parts of the province that are drier than normal. (Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada)