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DU Canada’s wetland mapping comes to Montreal conference
Montreal, Quebec, September 19, 2011 – The world of geography and mapping will be the focus of the ESRI Canada User Conference in Montreal on Sept. 20 and 21. ESRI Canada, a member of DUC’s Diamond Legacy League and provider of geographic information system (GIS) solutions for environmental management, will present a local example of the Canadian Wetland Inventory (CWI) Progress Map hosted by Ducks Unlimited Canada (DUC).
The Montreal Metropolitan Community territory is a good example of a completed wetland inventory that shows local residents what kinds of wetlands are nearby. This is also the information that people who live near Montreal can check out on DUC’s CWI website.
“Wetlands are are extremely important ecosystems to people in Quebec and to all Canadians as they provide clean drinking water, flood and drought relief, carbon sequestration, recreational opportunities, as well as habitat for wildlife,” says Brian Kazmerik, national manager, Geographic Information Systems (GIS) for DUC. “That’s why a complete Canadian Wetland Inventory for the country would be invaluable and the Montreal Metropolitan Community territory is a good step toward our national goal.”
Although Canada is estimated to have between 23 to 28 per cent of the world’s wetlands, it currently does not have a complete national inventory or system in place to monitor wetlands. Wetlands are lost in Canada at an alarming rate. In fact, 70 per cent of wetlands have disappeared or have been degraded in settled areas of the country, and more are lost every day.
A national inventory of wetlands is needed to answer the basic questions crucial to their sound management: Where are the remaining wetlands? How much area do they cover? What types of wetlands are they? And are they being threatened?
DUC uses ESRI technology for wetland mapping to produce consistent environmental information critical to better decision-making. ESRI Canada is holding eight user conferences across Canada this fall where DUC’s GIS data services will demonstrate the value and the need to have a completed inventory for all of the country’s wetlands.
“The CWI will also be fundamental to sustainable development,” says Kazmerik. “Without a complete wetland inventory, we cannot make informed decisions that will affect the quality and quantity of Canada’s water resources. That is why we are very fortunate to have national partners such as ESRI Canada and regional partners like the Quebec Ministry of Sustainable Development, the Environment and Parks, who as an environmental decision-maker, has been supporting our wetland mapping efforts in this province.”
For its part, the Ministry of Sustainable Development praised this initiative, which is part of a series of actions undertaken by the Quebec government and its partners to safeguard biodiversity. When we know the role of wetlands in the environment and the economy, we understand the importance of protecting them and ensuring their sustainable management. Upstream action must therefore be taken to prevent the deterioration and disappearance of these precious ecosystems. It is in this spirit that the mapping project was developed. Conservation organizations, developers and municipal and governmental bodies now have at their disposal a cutting-edge tool to support land-use planning and development with a focus on sustainable development.
DUC’s GIS department is also the recent recipient of an ESRI award from the Society of Conservation GIS 2011 International Conservation Mapping Competition where their online wetland inventory is highlighted in the Conservation GIS Map Book.
To see if a wetland inventory has been completed or is in progress in your area, visit the interactive map at www.ducks.ca/cwi to discover the different types of wetlands near you.
For more information, contact:
Karli Reimer, k_reimer@ducks.ca
National Communications Specialist – Conservation
Ducks Unlimited Canada
Phone: 204-467-3279
