Forum on Water Law and Governance | Research and innovation

The University of Ottawa’s Forum on Water Law and Governance

The Forum on Water Law and Governance is a national, multi-stakeholder initiative anchored at the University of Ottawa. Its central mission is to foster dialogue and to mobilize, produce, and disseminate knowledge on pressing water issues “from coast to coast to coast” across Canada, reflecting the country’s diverse geographic, cultural, and legal contexts. Recognizing that freshwater governance is both a national priority and a shared responsibility, the Forum serves as a collaborative platform where academic research, policy development, and community perspectives intersect. It operates on the belief that effective water governance requires inclusive participation engaging federal, provincial, territorial, Indigenous, municipal, and community-level actors while also drawing on international best practices.

This interdisciplinary and bi-legal (common law and civil law) project unites the expertise of three leading University of Ottawa research hubs: the Public Law Centre, the Centre for Environmental Law and Global Sustainability, and the Centre on Governance. Through this collaboration, the Forum examines water issues through multiple lenses legal, to clarify and harmonize regulatory frameworks; environmental, to ensure sustainability and ecosystem health; policy, to design effective, evidence-based governance structures; and governance, to strengthen institutional coordination and accountability. By combining these perspectives, the Forum not only analyzes Canada’s current water governance landscape but also works to shape innovative, equitable, and sustainable approaches for the future.

Main researchers : Our team

Lead researchers

Marie-France Fortin : LEAD INVESTIGATOR

Professor, Faculty of Law, University of Ottawa

Eric Champagne: CO-INVESTIGATOR

Director, Centre on Governance

Full Professor, School of Political Studies

Thomas Burelli: CO-INVESTIGATOR

Co-Director, Centre for Environmental Law and Global Sustainability.

Postdoctoral fellows :

Nessan Akemakou : Affiliated with the Public Law Centre
Lauren Touchant : Affiliated with the Centre on Governance and the Centre on Environmental Law and Global Sustainability

Affiliated researchers :

Alexandre Lillo : Affiliated with the Public Law Centre
Cristina D’Alessandro : Affiliated with the Centre on Governance
Lynda Hubert Ta : Professor, Faculty of Law, University of Ottawa
Xavier Gautier : Governance Advisor, Associate Practitioner

Student researchers:

Loriel Koudoha, Master’s degree candidate in Economics
Florence Robert, Undergraduate student in Law
Lilian Mai-Potvin, Undergraduate student in Law
Simon St-Onge, PhD student in law
Stéphanie Ouellet, Undergraduate student in Public Administration
Luke Boal, Master’s degree candidate in Public Administration
Colince Pougoué Tchameni, PhD candidate in public administration, School of Political Studies and doctoral researcher at the Centre on Governance

Canada Water Law and Governance

As water management is facing contemporary issues, especially those generated by climate change and certain anthropogenic activities, legal and governance mechanisms are increasingly mobilized and discussed.

In the Canadian context, water law and governance have their specificities. In particular, the constitutional division of powers related to water, between several levels of government, and the increased involvement of non-governmental actors create a complex and sometimes unstable climate. Fragmented initiatives, sectoral approaches, and conflicting situations continue to characterize this sector.

Additionally, water law and governance in Canada are currently in a potentially significant transition as the federal government aims to create a Canadian Water Agency. While the mandate and nature of this structure is yet to be determined, challenges relating to legal and governance mechanisms remain omnipresent.

It is in this complex and changing context that the University of Ottawa Forum on Water Law and Governance operates. Our mission is to promote dialogue and to facilitate knowledge mobilization around these topical issues.

find the video recording .

Multilevel Governance

Water-related public policy issues generally spill over many jurisdictions. This research project seeks to explore how government actors manage and address them. We particularly look at multilevel governance, federalism, interjurisdictional relations, as well as urban and territorial governance. Specifically, we examine the role and expertise of each level of government in relation to the governance of water resources, and consider regulatory, policy, and management issues that involve multiple jurisdictions including municipalities, aboriginal self-governments, provincial, territorial, and federal governments in relation to non-governmental actors in Canada. Our objectives include:

Analyzing the roles and responsibilities of key government actors involved in water governance in Canada.
Identifying the best approaches to improve dialogue and cooperation between different levels of water governance.
Assessing regulatory gaps between governments.
Evaluating the challenges and opportunities federalism and multilevel governance can entail in managing clean, freshwater resources.
Assessing the state of water infrastructure in Canada.
Analyzing the sources of funding for water infrastructure in Canada.

Community-Based Initiatives

Our multidisciplinary team studies water issues at the community level, focusing on two main priorities:

Community-Based Water Monitoring:
Local communities along lakes, rivers, and creeks have been monitoring freshwater quality to fill data gaps. This grassroots monitoring supports decision-making and links citizen-collected data with government policies.
Community Engagement and Participation:
Community groups and citizens have long advocated for water protection. Our research examines their role in policymaking, participation in public consultations (e.g., for the Canada Water Agency), involvement in governance, and social movements pushing for political and legal measuressuch as efforts to grant legal personhood to rivers like the Magpie River.

find the video recording .

International and global issues

Our research team is also interested in exploring international and regional perspectives to freshwater management and governance. Several worldwide jurisdictions have developed and implemented various strategies, policies, policy instruments, and laws that aim to foster a more collaborative, efficient, and effective governance and management of freshwater.

In the current Canadian context, what can we learn from these international initiatives, experiences, strategies, and models? The study of their characteristics, their successes and challenges are an important source of knowledge, particularly as the Federal government develops the new Canada Water Agency.

Book : Canada water agency, Multisectorial issue of Law and Governance

About the Book.

This book explores the creation of the proposed Canada Water Agency, a major federal initiative announced in 2020 to adapt to climate change and protect freshwater resources. As the first significant legislative action on national water management in over 50 years, the Agency’s structure and mandate remain to be defined, offering a unique moment for critical analysis of water governance in Canada and abroad.

The book brings together papers from the University of Ottawa’s Forum on Water Law and Governance, written by experts across disciplines. It provides an overview of Canada’s hydrographic, legal, and institutional context before examining freshwater governance from Indigenous, municipal, international, ecosystemic, intergovernmental, and agricultural perspectives.

Key themes include:

The Agency’s potential role in decolonizing water governance by centering Indigenous perspectives and advancing Reconciliation.
The importance of public participation, co-construction, and flexible governance models.
Legal and institutional tools for intergovernmental water management, with emphasis on municipalities and watershed-based approaches.
Comparative insights from international cases like the Indus River Basin.
Challenges and opportunities for the agriculture sector, the largest user and polluter of freshwater, especially under climate pressures.

Overall, the book situates the Canada Water Agency within broader debates on governance, collaboration, and sustainability, highlighting both its promise and the complexities it must address.

Scientific Publication

Overview of the Publication

Title: Canada has 20% of the world’s freshwater reserves — here’s how to protect this precious resource

Published on April 22, 2021, in The Conversation by researchers from the University of Ottawa: Alexandre Lillo, Éric Champagne, Lauren Touchant, Marie-France Fortin, and Thomas Burelli.

Key Points

A strategic but vulnerable resource
Canada holds 20% of the world’s freshwater reserves. While this is a geographical advantage, it also comes with heavy responsibility, particularly as climate change and global demand increase pressures on freshwater.
Governance challenges
Water governance in Canada is highly fragmented across federal, provincial, territorial, and municipal jurisdictions. This lack of coordination makes it difficult to implement coherent and effective policies for freshwater protection.
The Canada Water Agency
The federal government’s initiative to create a Canada Water Agency is presented as a timely and necessary response to climate change, institutional shortcomings, and reconciliation commitments with Indigenous Peoples.
Proposed priorities for reform
- Modernizing legislation, especially the Canada Water Act, to strengthen watershed-based management.
- Enhancing collaboration across all levels of government.
- Embedding Indigenous perspectives and knowledge at the heart of governance and decision-making.

Narrative Summary

The article emphasizes Canada’s crucial role in the stewardship of the world’s freshwater. Despite its abundance, water governance in the country is fragmented and outdated, which limits the ability to respond effectively to today’s environmental, social, and Indigenous challenges.

The proposed Canada Water Agency offers an opportunity to modernize water governance, build stronger intergovernmental collaboration, and place Indigenous voices and knowledge at the center of water management. Doing so would allow Canada to transform its freshwater wealth into a foundation for sustainability, resilience, and reconciliation.