In June of 2021, the Government of Canada committed to net-zero emissions by 2050. In November 2021, almost 200 countries at COP26 committed to the Glasgow Climate Pact that contained four main goals. Water plays a central role in achieving all of them alongside “near-global net-zero” mitigation efforts. Around the same time, Canadian Water Network [...]
The expansion of unconventional oil and shale gas development over the past decade, together with rapid evolution in techniques and technologies, has raised a host of challenging questions for those involved in making, influencing and informing decisions related to water and hydraulic fracturing. In 2014, Canadian Water Network established a national program to identify key [...]
The objective of the project was to review, summarize and assess current knowledge regarding wastewater management as it relates to hydraulic fracturing and to identify critical gaps to be addressed by future research.
Using a trans-disciplinary approach, the project team summarized the existing knowledge in this area, identified critical information gaps, outlined methods to address these gaps, and evaluated the relative merits of the identified approaches.
The energy sector is increasingly looking toward hydraulic fracturing for resource extraction to meet future energy needs. As an emerging technology, greater understanding is required to bridge the knowledge gap between decision-makers, researchers, neighbouring communities and the general public.
While varied across provinces, current water governance systems for hydraulic fracturing share a limitation: they were not designed to address complex issues that involve multiple actors and long-term watershed health. This project will synthesize current knowledge across key regions and actor groups to identify priority decision challenges and potential research approaches that could be used [...]
This project was designed to evaluate perceived knowledge gaps of potential hydraulic fracturing impacts on groundwater resources, and to analyze available research methods to address these gaps in relation to decision-making in a Canadian context.
This project, led by Dr. George Dixon, addresses the science of aquatic environmental issues associated with oil sands development that will lead to improved wastewater management.