Sustainable Landscapes, Sustainable Communities

Imagine that you live in city with twice the population of Calgary. Your city relies on wells for its water as the climate is dry and there are no significant local rivers. The wells, already reaching 1,000 to 2,500 feet into the earth, tap into old aquifers that are slowly running dry. There is a reasonable chance that, within a decade or two, the people will have to abandon the city and migrate elsewhere. They will move to another city.

No, this is not Calgary. But it is real, and it is not the only world city with a similar problem. When hunger and poverty force them to move, and it will, many will end up in Canada. The greatest migration in history has occurred over the past century - a migration from rural to urban living - and it is not yet over. The expanding urban populations will look outside their city boundaries for water, food, energy, and resources to drive their economy. We already see some of this affect in Alberta. It will get more intense.

Without intelligent and effective land use planning we will lose the foothill landscapes that provide us with clean water and so much more. As residents in southern Alberta we have won the geographic lottery. Let’s not squander the prize.

For more information about the Southern Alberta Land Trust Society contact:
Alan Gardner, Executive Director
t: +1 403-282-7011
m: +1 403-861-6808
http://www.salts-landtrust.org