The Real Estate Foundation of BC and Vancouver Foundation have released the results of a public opinion study on attitudes toward freshwater issues in British Columbia. Results include:

• 95% view quality and abundance of fresh water as vitally important to health and well-being in their region.
• 87% agree that local communities should have the right to say “yes” or “no” to decisions affecting their fresh water.
• 89% favour strict province-wide standards for water protection.
• 87% say the provincial government should play the lead role in funding water monitoring.
• 87% of respondents believe the protection of nature and ecosystems should be a top priority.

The Real Estate Foundation has been making grants in support of the health and resilience of natural freshwater systems for many years. We have funded watershed planning, inventory and mapping of streams and lakeshores, and “water-centric” land use planning and education initiatives. Since 2012, Freshwater Sustainability has been one of our three priority granting areas.

Documents

Final Topline Findings  |  Freshwater Insights Presentation  |  Media Release

Join the conversation

Twitter Poll: What are the top threats to fresh water in BC? TWEET your answers using #THREATS2WATER.

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Study respondents were asked to identify their favourite local body of water and answer the question, “Why does this place matter to you?” Click to view their answers on the map.