Wetlands: Avoid further wetland loss and functional impairment and promote more wetland restoration, education, and best management practices focused on minimizing impacts

Image depicting ponds and wetlands.

Strategy Description

Avoiding wetland loss and promoting wetland restoration through the continued refinement, implementation, and enforcement of related legislation, policies, and mechanisms. Wetlands create unique and diverse habitats for a wide range of organisms, serving a vitally important role on the landscape. This strategy aims to maintain or improve the hydrological benefits of wetlands. 

 

Possible Benefits 

  • Decreased peak or flashy streamflows as a result of more storage of water in wetlands
  • Increase in overall ecosystem health, benefiting wildlife, hydrologic connectivity, and diversity
  • Extend residence time so that there are higher flows for longer periods through more a regulated baseflow 

Possible Trade-offs

  • Potential to add challenges to future development
  • Cost of reclaiming wetlands 
Photograph of WaterPortal Board Member Ross Douglas

Ross Douglas

Board Member

Ross has extensive executive experience in Operations, Governance, Information Technology and Strategy at the board and senior management level including Mancal Corporation, Mancal Energy, Highridge Exploration and Atlantis Resources. He has worked in Oil and Gas, Coal, Commercial Real Estate, Portfolio Management, Recreation, Retail and Water and Wastewater Treatment. His experience is also geographically diverse having overseen operations in Canada, the United States, United Kingdom and Northern Ireland. Additionally, he has been on the board of companies with operations in Argentina, Azerbaijan, Barbados, Kazakhstan, and Russia. He has served on numerous Public, Private and Not for Profit Boards across a number of industries.

Ross has been active on several industry Boards and committees including the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers (CAPP) and The Schulich School of Engineering Industry Advisory Council at the Schulich School of Engineering.

Photograph of WaterPortal Board Member Brian Mergelas

Brian Mergelas, PhD, ICD.D

Board Member

Brian is a seasoned Cleantech entrepreneur with a proven history of successfully bringing complex water technologies to the market.   With over 25 years of experience, he has led various organizations to achieve significant milestones in the industry. 

Having started as the founding CEO of the Pressure Pipe Inspection Company (PPIC) and later taking the helm at the Water Technology Acceleration Project (WaterTAP), Brian’s entrepreneurial spirit has been instrumental in driving innovation and growth within the sector. 

He is an active investor in the cleantech sector and has served on many boards including the Ontario Clean Water Agency. 

Actively engaged in industry associations like AWWA, WEF, IWA, and ASCE, Brian enjoys collaborating with fellow professionals to promote advancements in the field. 

Brian holds an undergraduate degree and a PhD in Physics from Queen’s University, which has provided him with a solid technical foundation.   As a member of the Institute of Corporate Directors, he brings valuable insights to corporate governance.