Sustainable development: Land and water strategy: A summary of public input

Because our activities on land affect our water resources, it is vital that we manage our land and water resources together. This is the position that the Government of Manitoba has taken, and why it has proposed a Land and Water Strategy for the Provience. Conserving the environment while creating economic activity is the objective of the Land and Water Strategy--an objective consistent with the principles of sustainable development set out by the National Task Force of Environment and Economy. The Task Force defines sustainable development as "...development which ensures that the use of resources and the environment today does not damage prospects for their use by future generations."

The key concept advanced by the Task Force is that the economy and the environment can no longer be viewed in isolation. We must use our resources to survive and prosper, but we must also manage them wisely if they are to be there in future, for our children and grandchildren.' In the past, the economy and the environment were viewed as mutually exclusive. That is no longer an acceptable view. We can conserve our resource base and generate economic activity at the same time. The Land and Water Strategy points the way. (author)