As the federal lead for freshwater science, Environment and Climate Change Canada’s (ECCC) Science and Technology Branch is leading the development of a National Freshwater Science Agenda. The agenda is an inclusive and coordinated roadmap that identifies the most pressing freshwater challenges across Canada. It will inform a coordinated approach to the science needed to address these challenges over the next 10 years. ECCC is currently engaging broadly with provinces and territories, Indigenous knowledge holders, academia, NGOs, professional associations, and many others to help shape the National Freshwater Science Agenda.

An online freshwater science prioritization survey to identify and confirm freshwater science priorities concluded at the end of August. Input is currently is being analyzed. Focused roundtables, taking place in the fall of 2024, will provide opportunities to dive into these science priorities in more detail, discuss opportunities to collectively support science mobilization and advance science needs, and inform the development of the agenda. Please contact the National Freshwater Science Agenda team at [email protected] for more information regarding the roundtables. Findings from the prioritization survey and roundtables will inform the development of the National Freshwater Science Agenda, with a final draft anticipated in spring 2025.