{"id":75726,"date":"2025-08-17T06:00:17","date_gmt":"2025-08-17T06:00:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/75726\/"},"modified":"2025-08-17T06:00:17","modified_gmt":"2025-08-17T06:00:17","slug":"why-drought-is-so-widespread-in-canada-and-what-to-do-about-it","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/75726\/","title":{"rendered":"Why drought is so widespread in Canada \u2014 and what to do about it"},"content":{"rendered":"

We got rain \u2014 so our drought concerns are over, right?<\/p>\n

It\u2019s something we hear from readers, family and friends all the time. It\u2019s a fair question. Drought warnings are becoming more common across Canada, and when we get a wet day, week or even month, we may think \u2014 or hope \u2014 that it\u2019s solved the drought issue. But drought can be a compounding problem, even after the cool relief of rain.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s an issue affecting forests, grasslands and coasts. According to the Canadian drought monitor<\/a>, 71 per cent of the country was in drought as of July 31 and most of Canada had below-average precipitation in July. The government of British Columbia reported snowpack in May was 71 per cent of normal<\/a>, but by June, that plummeted to 13 per cent of normal<\/a>, with some areas at zero per cent of normal.<\/p>\n

While some areas of Canada have received more rain than normal lately, others are receiving starkly less \u2014 like southwestern Saskatchewan, which received less than 25 per cent of typical rainfall in June. Several areas in the province have declared agricultural states of emergency.<\/p>\n

Water scarcity is already an increasing risk, and even more pressures are growing. Donald Trump has called Canada a \u201cvery large faucet\u201d that could be used to mitigate water shortages in the United States. And companies like Bell Canada are looking to open artificial intelligence (AI) data centres, which guzzle an incredible amount of drinking water, sometimes millions of litres<\/a> in a single day for large centres.<\/p>\n

Many Canadians may be surprised to hear they have no enshrined right to clean water. Residents of Glade, a small B.C. community, mounted a legal challenge<\/a> against private logging near their water supply, and in 2019 a B.C. Supreme Court judge concluded they did not have any inherent right to this natural resource<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cDo you have a right to clean water?\u201d Justice Mark McEwan said in court. \u201cI\u2019d suggest you don\u2019t. There just is nowhere in the law where you can look and say, \u2018There it is \u2014 there\u2019s my right, I have a right to clean water.\u2019 \u201d Canada recognized the UN declaration on the human right to safe drinking water and basic sanitation in 2012, but that is not a legally binding protection.<\/p>\n

\"AAccording to the Canadian Drought Monitor, over half of the country is in drought. Map: Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada<\/p>\n

Many interests want to pull from Canada\u2019s water \u2014 while drought already has caused major ecosystem and economic losses.<\/p>\n

Crop insurance payouts in Canada ballooned<\/a> in the past few years, ranging from $3.5 billion to $4.9 billion between 2021 and 2024. For the decade before that, between 2010 to 2020, payouts ranged from $77 million to $1.7 billion. Farmers in the Atlantic provinces have said<\/a> this year\u2019s drought is the worst in recent memory, decimating both their crops and their livelihoods.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Drought can also interfere with hydroelectricity generation<\/a>, making electricity more expensive \u2014 B.C. and Manitoba had to import power<\/a> in 2024 due to low reservoir levels.<\/p>\n

\"ABy June, B.C. snowpack had plummeted to 87 per cent below normal. Illustration: Steph Kwet\u00e1sel\u2019wet Wood \/ The Narwhal<\/p>\n

Drought isn\u2019t only lack of rain \u2014 it\u2019s about water in soil and waterways, and impacts of industrial activity<\/p>\n

Drought can\u2019t only be understood in terms of lack of rain \u2014 it\u2019s how water is functioning in the whole system, Younes Alila, professor in the University of British Columbia\u2019s department of forest resources management, previously told The Narwhal. In a recent short documentary, Trouble in the Headwaters<\/a>, he explains how logging has contributed to increased risk of flood and drought by removing tree cover that keeps the ground moist and cool, moderating the speed of melting snow.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen the snowmelt\u2019s slower, it has a chance to infiltrate into the soil, recharging the groundwater,\u201d he explains in the film.<\/p>\n

Without trees, water can rush down slopes, causing flooding and landslides, he says. \u201cThis is why we are going to be living under a heightened risk of flooding and droughts for decades to come \u2014 because by nature, the recovery is very slow.\u201d<\/p>\n

Many wetlands that retain water and mitigate floods have also been cleared for human development. That means soil is more likely to dry out, so it also doesn\u2019t absorb water as well.<\/p>\n

Hotter weather exacerbates drought risk by causing more erratic precipitation and earlier, faster snowmelts than normal \u2014 and the sudden flows can all wash away over the dry soil rather than getting soaked in.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s similar to pouring water on a dried-out potted plant; the parched soil doesn\u2019t absorb the water, and it runs out the bottom of the pot instead.<\/p>\n

\"\"Snowmelt is integral to spreading water through the landscape. When it melts faster, it has less chance to absorb deeply into the soil. Photo: Louis Bockner \/ The Narwhal<\/p>\n

Hotter weather is causing drought nationwide, posing health risks to humans and lethal risk to animals<\/p>\n

As the climate changes, bringing higher temperatures and drier conditions, drought conditions spread and worsen. The impacts are widespread, even if they\u2019re felt at different times to different degrees.\u00a0<\/p>\n

It may be tempting to not worry about lower levels of drought, but the effects can still branch outwards. B.C. classifies drought severity by levels 0 through 5, going from normal to severe and rare. In the B.C. Interior, much of the area is at Level 2 drought, midway through the scale. But some rivers are low and warm enough already to risk aquatic life like salmon<\/a>, which rely on cool temperatures.<\/p>\n

This is Neekas, Heiltsuk Territory. All of these salmon went into the creek, the creek dried up b\/c of no rain so far this fall, and just died, and this is just one reach! Global warming is killing everything. This is such a sad scene. Video credit, Sarah Mund pic.twitter.com\/vYhEKwD5mN<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 William Housty (@WilliamHousty) October 4, 2022<\/a><\/p>\n

When plants dry out in drought, it can mean less shade and shelter for animals like ground-nesting birds, as well as less productive growth of nuts and berries for deer and bears, or less lichen for caribou. That can force animals to move<\/a> in search of food and water, sometimes to urban areas.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"TwoTwo bears walk along a river in Moose Factory, Ont. Animals also rely on healthy water systems that support their food and shelter. Photo: Carrie Davis \/ The Narwhal<\/p>\n

Drought comes with human health risks, too. According to the Canadian Climate Institute, drought can degrade water quality and promote algal blooms \u2014 which are increasingly common<\/a> in Ontario\u2019s Great Lakes \u2014 and waterborne diseases. Meanwhile, dusty conditions can worsen respiratory problems.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

\"A
\nOn the left, Nathan Wilson, a doctoral candidate with Lakehead University\u2019s environmental and biotechnology program, collects samples of a suspected blue-green algae bloom in Hazelwood Lake, outside Thunder Bay, Ont., where warmer water is allowing the growth of blooms. Photos: Chris McEvoy \/ The Narwhal<\/p>\n

Explosion of AI data centres will mean more industrial water use \u2014 including in the Great Lakes and drought-stricken B.C.<\/p>\n

The push to build data centres across the world will put significant pressure on water supply \u2014 a Bloomberg investigation found that<\/a> two-thirds of AI data centres globally are built or planned in places with high water stress. Much of that stress is due to other industries: AI currently uses much less water<\/a> than, say, mining, but the race by Alberta<\/a> and other provinces to attract new centres means the water they use is increasingly significant.\u00a0<\/p>\n

In B.C., Bell plans to build six AI data centres, while Telus plans to launch an AI \u201cfactory\u201d in Kamloops, touting the project as something that can bolster Canada\u2019s sovereignty in the face of U.S. tariffs and threats of annexation. Bell\u2019s first data centre is also planned for Kamloops, and the next in Merritt, both in B.C.\u2019s dry Interior.<\/p>\n

Merritt is in the Nicola watershed, which is in Level 3 drought. The nearby Coldwater River is having such low flows it is not meeting the needs of salmon, a 2025 study<\/a> from the Raincoast Conservation Society and Scw\u2019exmx Tribal Council found.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Nicola watershed is one of B.C.\u2019s most vulnerable regions to the effects of climate change, particularly as it relates to drought,\u201d Raincoast said in a release<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"AIn 2023, dozens of homes in the Squilax community east of Kamloops, B.C. were burned to the ground by the Bush Creek Wildfire. Bell Canada plans to build its first data centre in Kamloops. Photo: Jesse Winter \/ The Narwhal<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, in Ontario\u2019s Great Lakes region \u2014 which provides water to 70 per cent of the province\u2019s 14 million people \u2014 there are at least 108 data centres<\/a> in the Greater Toronto Area alone.<\/p>\n

Data centres use cold water to cool their computers \u2014 and they use immense amounts. One study projected global AI demand will withdraw between 4.2 and 6.6 billion cubic meters<\/a> of water in 2027. That\u2019s more than Canada\u2019s entire manufacturing industry<\/a> used in 2021. And demand is only growing.<\/p>\n

In Newtown Country, Ga., where tech giant Meta built a data centre, the cost of water has soared, with rates set to increase 33 per cent over the next two years, and the county is on track to be in a water deficit by 2030, the New York Times reported<\/a>. Meta makes up about 10 per cent of the county\u2019s total water use every day.<\/p>\n

In Spain\u2019s Aragon region (home to about 1.3 million people and a bit bigger than Vancouver Island), Amazon\u2019s new data centres are predicted to double the entire region\u2019s current electricity use, and the company is asking to increase its water consumption by 48 per cent<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"MimicoThe Greater Toronto Area has the highest concentration of data centres, with more than 100 along the shores of Lake Ontario. Photo: Christopher Katsarov Luna \/ The Narwhal<\/p>\n

AI has the ability to increase our efficiency and better monitor our use of natural resources \u2014 but its water consumption is on track to outweigh its environmental contributions, three professors from the University of Amsterdam recently argued in The Conversation<\/a>.<\/p>\n

These centres are draining groundwater while \u201cthe minimum needs of the world\u2019s poorest to access water and sanitation services have not been met,\u201d they argued, adding that Google\u2019s data centres used over 21 billion litres of drinkable water in 2022, up 20 per cent from 2021. Each year, the computing power used for AI increases.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe believe there is sufficient evidence for concern that the rapid uptake of AI risks exacerbating the water crises. \u2026 As yet, there are no systematic studies on the AI industry and its water consumption,\u201d they concluded.<\/p>\n

Unlike the European Union<\/a>, Canada doesn\u2019t have water use disclosure rules for data centres \u2014 in part because<\/a> water is managed provincially, not federally.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"AWhile some areas may be experiencing more rain, other areas are experiencing record dry months. A warmer climate means more erratic precipitation, with intense highs and lows. Map: Shawn Parkinson \/ The Narwhal<\/p>\n

Communities, experts are already calling for industries to pay more for water<\/p>\n

The B.C. non-profit organization Watershed Watch reported this summer<\/a> that industrial water users in the province pay a maximum of $2.25 per million litres, a rate that hasn\u2019t increased in a decade. In Ontario, the rate is just $3.71 for the first million litres<\/a>, with commercial water bottlers paying an additional $500 per million litres.\u00a0<\/p>\n

But industries use billions of litres of water \u2014 mining company Rio Tinto used 72.5 billion litres of water<\/a> in Quebec in 2022 alone. According to the Montreal Gazette<\/a>, businesses used 800 billion litres of water in the province in 2021 and paid just $3 million, a number the provincial government cited when it increased commercial water rates 900 per cent last year.<\/p>\n

\"InkyVast quantities of water are used in mining, oil and gas extraction and other industries. Here, a tailings pond flows with wastewater at an open-pit mine operated by Suncor in northern Alberta. Photo: Amber Bracken \/ The Narwhal<\/p>\n

Watershed Watch suggests raising industrial water rates and using that revenue to support watershed security. It suggests that revenue could also go to developing regional watershed boards made up of \u201cFirst Nations, governments, farmers, non-profits and other stakeholders to manage water locally.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

The non-profit says B.C. sounds \u201clike a broken record\u201d telling residents to \u201ctake shorter showers and water their lawn less,\u201d and that while these steps are important, it\u2019s an \u201cunserious solution to a very serious problem<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re not asking for a radical solution, just a responsible one. The status quo is failing our salmon, our watersheds and everyone who calls B.C. home.\u201d<\/p>\n

Prairie droughts add to wildfire and drinking water issues for Indigenous communities<\/p>\n

First Nations disproportionately lack access to clean drinking water, and drought exacerbates<\/a> the issue. Some First Nations have been left waiting years to get access to clean water. Tallcree First Nation in northern Alberta relies on spring runoff to pull water from a nearby creek, and it told the CBC<\/a> it\u2019s concerned when flows are low, it won\u2019t be able to pull anything.<\/p>\n

In 2015, former prime minister Justin Trudeau promised to end long-term boil water advisories in First Nations by 2021. As of July 11, 38 advisories<\/a> remain in place. But the feds specifically define \u201clong-term\u201d as a single advisory lasting more than one year \u2014 so communities that experience many \u201ctemporary\u201d boil water advisories for weeks or months at a time are not included. The federal government also does not track advisories in B.C. First Nations.\u00a0<\/p>\n

First Nations access to clean water is a painfully long-standing issue, which has been condemned by multiple United Nations representatives over the years \u2014 and yet, some Canadian politicians are still opposing a First Nations clean water bill<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, drought conditions can also exacerbate wildfires, which have hit the Prairies hard this year. Almost 69,000 square kilometres in Canada have burned \u2014 making this Canada\u2019s second-worst wildfire season<\/a> on record so far. More than half of all areas burned in 2025 are in Saskatchewan and Manitoba.<\/p>\n

If that surface area was instead one of the Great Lakes, it would be the second biggest one behind Lake Superior and ahead of Lake Huron. If it was an island, it would be twice as big as Vancouver Island.<\/p>\n

\"AerialAbove, fires broke out in Manitoba in May. Manitoba\u2019s northern communities are most impacted by wildfires and Indigenous communities are disproportionately affected. Photo: Supplied by the Government of Manitoba<\/p>\n

Manitoba had a dry spring followed by an unusual spring heatwave, contributing to the devastating fires<\/a> that caused thousands to be evacuated.<\/p>\n

Again, Indigenous people are being disproportionately affected by evacuations.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis will be the largest evacuation Manitoba will have seen in most people\u2019s living memory,\u201d Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew said in May.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Government and industry have the tools to combat persistent drought<\/p>\n

Last year, when Alberta was dealing with low water supply, Tricia Stadnyk, a professor of engineering and geography at the University of Calgary who studies hydrology, told The Narwhal<\/a> Canada as a whole has ignored what\u2019s coming.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, it\u2019s Canada, we have so much water we don\u2019t know what to do with it, we\u2019re never going to have drought that\u2019s so severe people have to move or can\u2019t survive or we can\u2019t grow crops,\u201d she says, summarizing the common belief that massive, widespread water shortages can\u2019t happen here.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s just unthinkable for Canadians to think about drought at that scale, but the reality is this is the future of the Canadian Prairies.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cUnless properly managed, even Canada\u2019s water supplies will eventually run out,\u201d Stadnyk wrote in The Conversation<\/a> earlier this year.<\/p>\n

She calls for more data collection so we can forecast water flows better, and for improved cooperation across municipalities, provinces, Indigenous governments and the feds, along with the United States at transboundary areas<\/a>. She says the current system has \u201cfragmented oversight\u201d and \u201cprivileged licences\u201d for industrial users that shows \u201clittle care\u201d for watershed health. She advocates for improved water efficiency by industrial users, along with people curbing their individual use.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s time to challenge our wasteful ways and accept that even in Canada, water must be managed effectively,\u201d she says.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThe choices we make today will impact our children and their children and will literally mean the difference between them thriving or surviving as a society.\u201d<\/p>\n

A diary of drought<\/p>\n

B.C. has been dealing with persistent drought since 2022. In April 2024, the province recorded the lowest snowpack since 1970. After a dry, hot summer, much of B.C. remained in drought even through the winter into 2025.<\/p>\n

Going through the province\u2019s 2025 drought updates reads as a diary of land struggling to grasp onto water:<\/p>\n

\tMay 15: Significant 30-day precipitation deficits\u2026 rapid decline in streamflows\u2026 lowest on record streamflow for Kiskatinaw River in the northeast.
\n\tMay 22: [Snowmelt] is still tracking earlier than normal.
\n\tJune 5: Long-term drought risk persists in the northeast and southeast\u2026 Lake storage in the South Peace has not recovered from last summer.
\n June 19: Recent rainfall has improved drought conditions in the northeast\u2026 but streamflow response was muted in some areas due to long-term dryness. \u2026 Chemainus River (Vancouver Island) approaching record low flows.
\n July 3: Flows in the Similkameen are at a record low\u2026
\n July 10: Declining flows and rising stream temperatures continue to pose a risk to aquatic ecosystems in tributaries across the Okanagan and Vancouver Island.
\n July 29: Despite near-normal rainfall in some areas providing short-term drought relief, long-term drought effects persist\u2026 reports of fish stranding on Vancouver Island.
\n August 5: Flows in the Coquihalla River are at a record low for this time of year.<\/p>\n