Water use in Canadian agriculture

The document highlights that only 11% of Canada's 64 million hectares of farming operations are irrigated, while noting that climate change increases the risk of droughts and water shortages. It emphasizes the need for water conservation and collaborative management as water demand rises, noting that 2018 irrigation water use was equivalent to the volume of water flowing over Niagara Falls over two weeks.

• Approximately 11% of Canada's 64 million hectares of farming operations are irrigated.
• Climate change is expected to cause water stress for crops and increase the risk of water shortages and droughts, citing the severe droughts in the Prairies during the summer of 2021 as an example.
• The volume of water used for crop irrigation by farmers in 2018 was equivalent to the amount of water that normally flows over Niagara Falls in a two-week period.

APA

International Institute for Sustainable Development (n.d.). Water use in Canadian agriculture. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2021-12/sustainable-food-systems-water-use.pdf

Chicago

International Institute for Sustainable Development. Water use in Canadian agriculture. n.d. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2021-12/sustainable-food-systems-water-use.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=International Institute for Sustainable Development |title=Water use in Canadian agriculture |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2021-12/sustainable-food-systems-water-use.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{internationalinstituteforsustainabledevelopmentndwater, author = {{International Institute for Sustainable Development}}, title = {{Water use in Canadian agriculture}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2021-12/sustainable-food-systems-water-use.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }