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Canada’s territory is vast and varied, ranging from the mountains
in the west across the central plains to the rivers and lowlands in the east
and the frozen tundra in the north. In total, the nation comprises some 10 million
square kilometres.
Land cover describes the physical features found on the surface of the
land at a particular location. It is an important determinant of many processes
related to trends in the environmental sustainability indicators, including
soil erosion and the related impacts on water quality. As another example,
the extent and type of forest cover in a given area affects the potential
for either the release and absorption of greenhouse gases by vegetation and
soils.
Summary data on land cover are presented below using the drainage area
framework described above. The map and table provide estimates of land cover
types for both major drainage areas and sub-basin areas. (See table 1 – Land cover by category, Canada, oceanic
basin and sub-drainage area, 2000)
Population growth, distribution and density shape the impacts that human
activities have on the environment. Canada’s population has expanded
considerably since 1921 when there were just 8.8 million
Canadians. 1 This growing population has contributed to economic expansion
and the demand for goods and services. The increase in greenhouse gas
emissions since 1990 has been driven by the combination of population
and economic growth. 2
Basic population characteristics from the Census of Population are presented
below for sub-drainage areas across Canada. Although Canada’s overall
population density is low, people are increasingly found in densely populated
urban centres. 3 This has consequences for urban air quality
and for related health effects. Drainage areas where the population is dense
experience increased stress on water quality from waste water discharges and
other human uses of water bodies.
The environment is an essential backdrop for economic activity. Not only
do raw materials and energy come from the environment, but the environment
also serves as a repository for the wastes produced by the economy. The tables
below provide some basic information about Canada’s economy –
energy production and use, greenhouse gas intensity, employment, investment
and gross domestic product. The links between these variables and the environmental
sustainability indicators are numerous; among the more important is the relation
between fossil fuel use and air quality in urban areas. 4
The tables also include Agriculture variables from the Census of Agriculture
presented both by province/territory and by drainage area. These variables
detail several aspects of farm practices potentially related to trends in
the environmental sustainability indicators for air quality and, especially,
water quality. For example, fertilizer and pesticide use potentially stress
the quality of water bodies located near farmland.
In future reports, the linkages between the environmental sustainability
indicators and the socio-economic variables will be strengthened. Measuring
the efficiency of energy use is of particular interest because of the multiple
benefits: lower economic cost, less air pollution and acid precipitation,
and lower greenhouse gas emissions. This work will aid in the development
of policies that combine economic and social perspectives with those of environmental
sustainability.
The socio-economic data gathered in this first report represent only a
portion of those of potential interest. Future releases will include variables
covering a broader range of issues and presented in greater geographic detail
wherever appropriate and possible.
