Media Release: On World Drought Day, BC Coalition Calls for Provincial Action on Drought and Water Scarcity

Province has the tools to help communities, but no plan to implement them

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

June 17, 2026 | Vancouver, B.C. | UNCEDED xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (MUSQUEAM), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (SQUAMISH) AND səlilwətaɬ (TSLEIL-WAUTUTH) TERRITORIES

As the United Nations’ World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought is marked,  and following yesterday’s provincial update that highlighted increasing drought conditions, it is clear that many regions of B.C. are now facing their fourth consecutive summer of water insecurity. As drought and water scarcity risks escalate year after year, British Columbians are paying the price for a lack of provincial action to support communities to get ahead of these crises.

“The challenge isn’t a lack of solutions — it’s a lack of delivery. Despite existing tools and commitments to improve watershed security, the province still lacks a coordinated plan to implement them, and communities are paying the price,” said Coree Tull, Chair of the BC Watershed Security Coalition. 

The BC Watershed Security Coalition, a diverse coalition of 57 organizations working in watersheds across British Columbia, is calling on the province to follow through on its own legislative and policy commitments by:

• Fully implementing the 10-year-old Water Sustainability Act;
• Implementing and resourcing a system of local Watershed Boards;
• Expanding water metering and requiring industries to report their water use;
• Developing and funding a provincial water storage plan; and
• Modernizing industrial water rates and dedicating the revenue to watershed and drought preparedness initiatives.

“British Columbia would be far better prepared for this summer’s drought if the province had fully implemented the Water Sustainability Act a decade ago,”  said Tull. “The tools to address growing water scarcity already exist, but many remain unused. Five years ago, the province also committed to developing a Watershed Security Strategy, yet it has never been released or implemented.”

Communities keep hearing there is no funding to support drought solutions and strengthen water management, but a clear and fair revenue stream exists in the form of modernizing BC’s rock-bottom industrial water rates. 

“We hear from the province that there isn’t enough funding for drought prevention work, but communities cannot afford the costs of inaction on watershed security,” said Tull. “Updating B.C.’s industrial water rates – among the lowest in the country – could generate more than $100 million a year to support communities in addressing drought and water scarcity without increasing costs to taxpayers. While the province has committed to reviewing these rates, we have yet to see action.”

ADDITIONAL QUOTES

“Water insecurity is now a fact of life in communities across B.C. Yet, provincial support has not kept pace with the risks. Local governments are expected to approve housing, support economic growth, prepare for emergencies, and safeguard drinking water, without the funding or governance tools required to manage water responsibly. B.C. can continue reacting to water emergencies one season at a time, or it can finally start governing our watersheds like the critical infrastructure they are.”
Vickey Brown, Mayor, Village of Cumberland and Coalition Member

“Farmers can’t keep reliving the same drought emergency year after year. We know how to build more resilient watersheds, reduce conflicts over water, and improve water security for farmers, First Nations, communities, and fish. A key, missing ingredient is provincial leadership and investment to bring these solutions to scale.”
Dave Zehnder, Zehnder Ranch and Coalition Steering Committee Member

Drought in recent years has killed thousands of fish as rivers ran dry or became lethally hot for salmon. These losses can be prevented or mitigated by keeping more water flowing in our streams, and the province has the tools to do this. It just needs to start using them. If they don’t act, we should expect more fish kills this year and beyond. 
Aaron Hill, Executive Director of Watershed Watch Salmon Society and Coalition Steering Committee Member

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Background: The BC Watershed Security Coalition is a non-partisan, diverse coalition of 57 organizations made up of community water experts and leaders in the field, including farmers, Indigenous champions and local governments, and represents 285,000 British Columbians from all walks of life.