摘要: In this paper, I argue that the most significant challenges facing the majority of Canadians in the context of water resources are not a function of lack of scientific knowledge or technical skills. Instead, they relate to governance. New technologies will help us solve some water problems, and scientific advances will always be welcome. However, problems such as contaminated water sources, unsafe drinking water supplies, degraded aquatic environments and conflicts over limited water supplies generally can be traced to mismanagement—rather than to a lack of scientific knowledge or appropriate technologies. To illustrate, the much-publicized contamination incidents in the town of Walkerton, in southern Ontario, and the community of