Canada's major water bodies are shrinking: Researchers raise concerns

 

 

New studies indicate that the ice cover in Canada's major river basins is shrinking significantly as global warming increases. The findings in Canada come amid fears that reduced snowfall in the northern regions of the United States could lead to water shortages and wildfires in the summer.

According to a study by researchers at Concordia University in Montreal, there has been a significant decline in snow cover in Western Canada between 2000 and 2019. This is affecting 14 of Canada's 25 major drainage basins and could negatively affect the drinking water supply for millions of people, the researchers warn.

Scientists describe mountain snowpacks as natural 'water towers'. This snow, stored in winter, melts in summer to provide water for agriculture and other needs on time. But the decline in snowpack will affect urban water supply systems, agriculture, and shipping alike.

In addition, the lack of moisture from melting snow and the lack of it reaching the soil increases the risk of wildfires in forests. The impact of climate change is illustrated by the fact that NASA's Terra satellite has now recorded the lowest snowfall since it began observing in 2001.