About Environment Canada

At Environment Canada, our business is protecting the environment, conserving the country's natural heritage, and providing weather and meteorological information to keep Canadians informed and safe. Environment Canada is building on its accomplishments with the environment through credible science, effective regulations and legislation, successful partnerships, and high-quality service delivery to Canadians. We support sound environmental decisions. We work to repair the damage of the past, to collect and pass on knowledge, and to develop, implement and enforce policies to prevent future issues. We also work to ensure that Canadians have a safe, clean and sustainable environment today, tomorrow and well into the future. Environment Canada is a diverse organization where our programs, services, and people lead the way in implementing the Government of Canadas environmental agenda. We collaborate with our partners at home and abroad, to realize concrete progress on initiatives that will protect the health of our people and our planet.

Our Mandate
Environment Canada's mandate is to preserve and enhance the quality of the natural environment, including water, air, soil, flora and fauna; conserve Canada's renewable resources; conserve and protect Canada's water resources; forecast daily weather conditions and warnings, and provide detailed meteorological information to all of Canada; enforce rules relating to boundary waters; and coordinate environmental policies and programs for the federal government.

Our People

Our workforce is made up of knowledgeable and dedicated employees from diverse backgrounds that are proud of the contribution they make to the environment. We have over 7000 employees from a broad range of fields including biology, chemistry, meteorology, climatology, engineering, commerce, communications, engineering, law enforcement, environmental sciences, hydrology, informatics, law, library science, policy, and more. Our employees work in over 100 communities across the country, from Iqaluit to Toronto and Vancouver to St. John's. Over 65 per cent of our workforce is located outside of Ottawa. Our diverse expertise strengthens our ability to deal with increasingly complex and changing environmental issues. From the Canadian Ice Service to the Canadian Hurricane Centre, from laboratories and weather stations to national wildlife areas and field officesour people deliver quality services.

Climate Change Research

Our climate change research focuses on climate change and variability in Canada, the causes and the impacts. Our approach includes: field and laboratory research aimed at understanding climate processes; monitoring atmospheric greenhouse gases to track and understand changes; and developing and applying of climate models to make projections of future change. Our scientific results provide the basis for adaptation and mitigation actions, for climate policy and development, and for climaterelated services and products for Canadians.

Meteorological and Weather Research

Environment Canada maintains a meteorological research and development capacity that provides the department with the research necessary to improve weather and environmental prediction. The meteorological research and development program is the scientific foundation on which the weather and environmental prediction programs of Environment Canada are built. This research leads to Canadians receiving better advanced warning of severe weather events, and helps everyone protect

themselves, their families and their property from harm.

Air Quality Research

Our science and research helps us to protect Canada's air quality. We study and measure air pollutants that can alter the atmosphere and affect human health, including acid rain, persistent organic pollutants, ground-level ozone, particulate matter, mercury, and substances that deplete the ozone layer. Our research is based on an integrated and multidisciplinary approach, which includes the study of the science of air issues, from the source of pollutants, and their transportation and interactions in the atmosphere, to the impacts on health and the environment. Our air quality science and research supports the development of regulations, guidelines and policies as well as addressing Canada's international obligations. Our work also helps to keep Canadians informed about changes in air quality and the potential impacts on their health, by providing the science needed for the Environment Canada's daily forecasts of air quality and UV.

Water
Water research includes research into water quantity and water quality. EC's thousands of water observing stations across Canada monitor water bodies for changes in water levels and for pollutants, such as toxic substances generated by industrial, agricultural and domestic uses. This research is used to set Canada-wide standards for substances including mercury, petroleum hydrocarbons, dioxins and furans.

Nature
Because Canada has such a significant share of the earth's natural ecosystems25 per cent of wetland ecosystems, 15 per cent of forests and 16 per cent of Arctic ecosystems Environment Canada plays an important role as environmental steward.

Our nature research, which supports activities to preserve biodiversity and natural areas in Canada, is used to develop recovery plans for species; identify and conserve or restore ecologically important areas; monitor migratory bird populations; and track ecosystem health. Top of Page

Our Enforcement Activities

Environment Canadas Enforcement Branch is responsible for Canada's environmental and wildlife legislation. The Branch also participates in the development and administration of several other acts, as well as advises various federal agencies on other pieces of legislation. Our enforcement activities relate to areas including the manufacture and use of toxic substances, import and export of hazardous wastes and materials, migratory birds, endangered species, and the protection of domestic water and water shared internationally. Our enforcement officers work with industries, businesses, farmers, provinces, municipalities, customs officials, hunters, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. They also testify in court, work undercover on smuggling operations, and conduct field inspections, investigations and intelligence activities.

Our Environmental Promotion Activities

To protect, conserve and enhance the environment, we help shape how Canadians think about the environment. We are doing this by sharing knowledge, developing and supporting partnerships, and establishing economic incentives to support sound environmental decisions. Compiling our research into information tools such as the Canadian Bird Trends database, Hinterland's Who's Who, the

National Pollutant Release Inventory, emission forecasts and trends, and engineering climatology products and services helps us increase awareness, show trends, and build capacity for environmental best practices.

Our Key Partners

We cannot tackle environmental issues alone. Partnerships are a fundamental way of doing business at Environment Canada.

Our key partners include:

citizens non-governmental groups research facilities other federal departments provincial and territorial governments Aboriginal peoples private sector organizations international organizations Top of Page

Citizens
Canadians are becoming increasingly involved in assessing the state of their environment and bringing about change. Programs such as Plant Watch and Frog Watch, launched by the Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Network with the support of local communities, help assess the state of Canada's environment.

Non-governmental Groups
Non-governmental organizations across the country-at the community, regional and national level-are actively carrying out projects related to clean air, nature, clean water, and climate change. These organizations are dedicated to making a positive impact on the environment, and play an important role in many of EC's public engagement activities. For example, with ECs

support, community groups across Canada have taken action, improving their local environment with positive and sustainable results.

Research Facilities
EC has partnerships with other research facilities; federal, provincial and territorial agencies; and universities to work on specific projects. These partnerships allow researchers to share expertise, pool resources and equipment, and avoid duplicating efforts.

Other Federal Departments

Environment Canada works with the other federal departments that deal with natural resources. The five natural resource departmentsAgriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Health Canada, Natural Resources Canada, and Environment Canadacollaborate on research, share success stories, and disseminate information. This helps Canadians understand sustainable development issues and equips them to make and support informed decisions about sustainable development and the environment.

Provincial and Territorial Governments

The Government of Canada shares jurisdiction over environmental matters with the provinces and territories. EC works with provincial and territorial governments to develop policies and programs, undertake research, share success stories, and provide information on environmental issues of national and regional importance. These relationships are fostered through bilateral agreements as well as through the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment and other multilateral fora on specific issues such as domestic and international climate change, wildlife, species at risk and ecological areas, water, and environmental protection.

Aboriginal Peoples
EC works with the governments, communities, and organizations of the Aboriginal Peoples of Canada-First Nations, Mtis and Inuit-to advance the Departments programs and priorities, and to support Aboriginal environmental stewardship and objectives. This includes partnerships for the implementation of environmental legislation and programs, such as the Species at Risk Act.

Private Sector Organizations

Our partnerships with the private sector include work with industries such as the textile, dry-cleaning, pulp and paper, and wood preservatives industries to ensure compliance with environmental regulations and facilitate the adoption of pollution prevention measures.

International Organizations
Environment Canada is involved in at least seven United Nations organizations, including the United Nations Environment Programme, the World Meteorological Organization, and the Commission on Sustainable Development. EC also participates in other international organizations such as the Arctic Council, the G-8, and the Inter-American Institute for Global Change, and has signed several bilateral agreements with individual countries. Top of Page

The Beginning
Environment Canada was created on June 11, 1971, from elements of the Government of Canada such as the Meteorological Service of Canada (established in 1871) and the

Canadian Wildlife Service (established in 1947). The Department began operation with five services: Atmospheric Environment Service Environmental Protection Service Fisheries Service Land, Forest and Wildlife Service Water Management Service The architects of the early Department of Environment envisioned an organization that would act as ecosystem manager, incorporate ecological concerns into decision making, and be built on concepts now known as ecosystem-based management. The 1970s saw improvements to the Atmospheric Environment Service's Weather Service, with bilingual forecasts initiated in Ontario, Quebec, and the Atlantic provinces, and with wind chill forecasts in Saskatchewan. In addition to this, the Weatheradio system was established, and the Canadian Climate Centre was created. In 1979, organizational changes led to the Fisheries Service leaving the Department of Environment to form the Department of Fisheries and Oceans. In the 1980s, Canada hosted the first International Conference on Acid Rain, and the Department of Environment launched the first of what would be a series of ecosystem initiatives with the Great Lakes Action Plan. The Action Plan opened the doors to a new way of doing business for the department. Using an integrated ecosystem approach incorporating water, air, wildlife, habitat, and pollution in the Great Lakes Basin, the department began to act as a catalyst, seeking collaboration among all interested parties. The launch of the Action Plan was the beginning of the Great Lakes clean-up and of our ecosystem approach, which is still the foundation of our work today.

Continuing to Evolve
As a department, we continue to evolve in response to the needs

of our clients and partners. From our initial mandate in 1970 to protect the biosphere, we moved to an integrated ecosystem approach in the 1980s and included the concept of sustainable development in Canada's Green Plan in the 1990s. Today, Environment Canada continues to balance the need to protect the environment while growing the economy with regulatory frameworks to address air emissions, greenhouse gases, wastewater, and chemicals. Integrating environmental considerations into decision-making processes for projects as varied as mining and construction to the 2010 Olympic Winter Games is a natural demonstration of commitment to a foundation of sustainable development.

Economy needs firms to ramp up and look to the east for markets, Carney says
By Julian Beltrame, The Canadian Press | April 02, 2012 Chat
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Bank of Canada Governor Mark Carney speaks to the Greater Kitchener-Waterloo Chamber of Commerce in Waterloo, Ontario on Monday April 2, 2012. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Frank Gunn

OTTAWA - Canada's economy is underperfoming because firms have failed to take advantage of turbo-speed growth in emerging markets, says Mark Carney, citing the worst post-slump trade performance in six decades. In a speech prepared for a Kitchener-Waterloo business audience Monday, the Bank of Canada governor characterized the country's export record since 2000 as a dismal failure. It is the worst post-recession record of any recovery since World War II, he said, adding that aside from the United Kingdom, it is currently the worst in the G20 club of major economic nations. Carney wants Canadian businesses to turn their attention away from traditional markets like the U.S. and focus on booming economies in Asia. "Exports have not regained their pre-crisis peak, and in fact remain below their level of a decade ago," he said. "The combination of overexposure to the U.S. market and underexposure to fastergrowing emerging markets is almost entirely responsible." Referring to Canada's current economy, Carney had relatively positive things to say. With Europe's debt problems ameliorating he suggested it is no longer a crisis and as the U.S. recovery picks up steam, the headwinds that have held back Canada's economy are abating. But the domestic engine of Canadian growth has essentially run out of fuel, he cautioned. Consumers are heavily in debt and tapped out,

and growth in construction for homes has also run its course, since employment in the sector is now at a 35-year-high. For the economy to expand in the future, it must ramp up on exports, and businesses must become more innovative and invest in machinery and equipment, he said. "This was essentially a pep talk for business," said economist Michael Gregory of BMO Capital Markets. "My sense is he really wants the business sector to really ramp up because the economy can sure use it, and it is also essential to survival." Carney has pounded the drum for Canadian firms to invest and broaden their horizons beyond the safe and close U.S. market for years. Monday's speech was different in that he was the most detailed in amassing his evidence and most assertive in recommending a course of action. The fact is that Canada as an exporting nation has been sliding in importance since 2000, being outpaced in the race for markets by others by about five percentage points annually. As a part of the total global export market, Canada has gone from a share of 4.5 per cent to about 2.5 per cent and the country's exports of manufactured goods have been cut in half, he added, a large reason why employment in the factory sector has fallen nearly 500,000 jobs. Part of the trend is due to the strong Canadian dollar reducing competitiveness, he said, but not all, and not most. More important is that Canadian firms still trade primarily with the slow-growing U.S., where the dollar comparison is most likely to do damage. That model of trade is played out. The dollar is unlikely to retreat in relation to the U.S. currency, the American economy is entering a protracted period of slow growth, and commodity prices are going to stay high. "In short, our underperformance prior to the crisis was more a reflection of who we traded with than how effectively we did it," Carney said, a situation that has been exacerbated the recession. "It doesn't have to be this way," he added. "Germany has maintained its market share in manufactured goods be exporting capital goods and autos to China, and more broadly emerging-market economies. Australia has gained substantial market share in its exports of commodities to fill rising demand from China." The alarming message underscores the reason the Harper

government has made trade, particularly to China, India, Brazil and other emerging powers, a key priority in its economic agenda. Over the past year, the prime minister and his trade point man, Ed Fast, have hop-scotched across Asia, making trips to India, China, Japan, Indonesia and Korea, at each stop announcing new trade deals or negotiations. The government has also expressed interest in joining the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a fast-emerging trade block that may necessitate abandoning the country's supply management system in dairy and poultry. Carney's prescription is for businesses to gear up by becoming more competitive and shift their focus to where growth is. He notes that since the recession, emerging markets have accounting for two-thirds of global growth and one-half of import growth, a trend expected to continue for decades. This won't change in the foreseeable future, he said. "This is where Canadian businesses must increasingly look for growth," Carney concluded.

How changes in the demographic and economic environments affect marketing decisions?
Changing factors in the demographic environment that affect marketing decisions include the shifting age structure of the Canadian population, the changing Canadian family, geographic shifts in population, a better-educated and more white-collar workforce, and increasing ethnic and racial diversity. Economic trends include changes in income and income distribution, and changes in consumer spending patterns. Demography is the study of the characteristics of human populations. Today's demographic environment shows a changing age structure, shifting family profiles, geographic population shifts, a better educated and more white-collar population, and increasing diversity. The economic environment consists of factors that affect buying power and patterns. The economic environment is characterized by more consumer concern for value in shifting consumer spending patterns. Today's squeezed

consumers are seeking greater value -- just the right combination of good quality and service at a fair price. The distribution of income also is shifting. The rich have grown richer, the middle class has shrunk, and the poor have remained for, leading to a two-tiered market. Many companies now tailor their marketing offers to two different markets-the affluent and the less affluent.

Geographic FactorsVarious factors, including the diversity of rock

formations, soils, climate, wildlife, vegetation and people, present special conservation problems. Canada's land area is vast, its human population relatively small, and people with limited funds can do relatively little to preserve and manage extensive resources. Canada encompasses an area of 9.98 million km2 and has the longest coastline (202 080 km including major island coastlines) in the world. The land ascends from sea level on the shores of the Pacific, Atlantic and Arctic OCEANS to MOUNTAINS as high as 5959 m in the CORDILLERA. The huge northern plains, east of the Cordillera, contain fertile agricultural soils and immense energy reserves in the form of coal and PETROLEUM resources. The CANADIAN SHIELD, a mass of mineral-rich Precambrian rocks, forms the core of central Canada, and glaciation has moulded the landforms over large areas. The climate of Canada varies from harshly continental (cold dry winters, hot summers) to mildly oceanic; winter temperatures can be below -40C, summer days 35C or more. Average annual temperatures range from -19C to -10C in the Arctic Archipelago to 10C in southwestern BC. Greater than 42% of Canada's land surface is covered by forests, 29% by tundra, 10% by peatland, and about 5% by grassland, each with its own type of wildlife. After Brazil and Russia, Canada has the largest amount of renewable water resources in the form of runoff and streamflow (on average, 3435 km3 per year, which is nearly enough to fill an empty Lake Huron). Of the total land area in Canada, 11.7% is water but only 3% is located where people live. The nation's resources extend onto the Continental Shelf, which is known to contain considerable quantities of minerals and oil and natural gas. The lakes, rivers and oceans a also contain fish and mammals of considerable economic importance.

Renewable versus NonrenewableRenewable and nonrenewable

resources require different conservation approaches. To enable society to use rather than consume resources, ECOSYSTEMS such as forests, tundra and grasslands must be maintained. Such maintenance involves management of the genetic base (vegetation, animals) and the environment (water, air, light, soil) to preserve productivity, genetic diversity and renewal processes. Conservation of nonrenewable resources (eg, minerals, fossil fuels) requires development of policies to avoid waste (eg, by oil spills, gas flaring), to promote wise use and encourage recycling, to minimize adverse effects of mineral extraction on renewable resources and to develop renewable substitutes.

Uses of renewable and nonrenewable resources are interdependent; neither can be exploited or managed in complete isolation. Excessive use ("mining") of renewable resources may transform them into unrenewable losses, as when forest depletion leads to desert formation or an animal species is hunted to extinction, such as happened to the PASSENGER PIGEON and GREAT AUK. .

History of ConservationIt is difficult to cite a beginning of

conservation in Canada. First Nations peoples possessed spiritual beliefs that, whether deliberately environmental or not, restrained their exploitation of nature. Early European settlers enacted localized game laws designed to protect bird and wildlife species from overhunting. But there was a general, well-established belief in North America in the "myth of superabundance": that resources were so vast as to be inexhaustible. The late 19th century saw the emergence of what has been called "the first conservation movement." This movement has been linked to a growing trust in scientific management and a shift in control of resources from rural people to urban elites. The 1882 American Forestry Congress in Montreal, which brought together university-trained foresters and industry leaders to discuss forest conservation, supported forest protection through fire suppression, the creation of reserves for forestry (not reserves from forestry) and other measures which tended to favour large industrial interests more than small woodlot operators. A similar trend can be seen in WILDLIFE CONSERVATION, with urban people who saw wildlife in sporting terms creating restrictive hunting seasons and expensive licenses, while rural inhabitants who relied upon wildlife for subsistence or livelihood were obliged to conform. The birth of the Canadian NATIONAL PARKS system may be seen as another offshoot of conservationist thinking. The federal government created BANFF NATIONAL PARK in 1885 not because of sentimental or environmental concern, but simply to make the best economic use of it, since the Rockies were deemed unsuitable for much of anything but tourism. However, underlying this was an assumption that parks would become popular, for society was increasingly turning to nature in this period for reasons that cannot be considered economic. The high-water mark of early conservationism came in 1909 with the creation of the federal COMMISSION OF CONSERVATION. This was an advisory body composed of academics, federal and provincial government ministers, and other interested parties, with the sweeping mandate to consider and improve upon the utilization of all Canadian natural resources. The commission played an important role in the passage of the 1917 USCanada Migratory Birds Convention Act, but perhaps its greatest legacy is its publication of some 200 reports, which improved knowledge of the environment and aided in the formulation of public policy for decades. However, the resource-intensive economic boom that followed the First World War led to the commission's demise. Private interests kept the spirit of conservation alive in the decades that followed. The HUDSON'S BAY COMPANY operated a series of nature reserves

that depended upon local peoples, in particular First Nations. Jack MINER, described as "Canada's first celebrity conservationist," became known for his work banding birds on his family homestead in Kingsville, Ont, and grew into an advocate for the creation of BIRD SANCTUARIES and protective legislation. Nongovernmental conservation organizations also began to emerge. The Federation of Ontario Naturalists (now Ontario Nature) was established in 1931 to preserve wildlands for their intrinsic value. And DUCKS UNLIMITED CANADA, established in 1938 in tandem with a sister American organization, represented the interests of hunters who required the preservation of wetlands. In the 1960s and 1970s, issues ranging from nuclear fallout to overcrowding in parks led to rising societal concern as to whether nature could accommodate humans' unrestrained use of it. While some have called this period "the second conservation movement," for many the term "conservation" now seemed too utilitarian - the more scientific "ecology" and then the more comprehensive "environmental" gained prominence. A rash of new nature-minded organizations sprang up. The rapid disappearance of natural spaces led to the 1962 creation of the Nature Conservancy of Canada, focused on protecting ecologically-significant land first in southern Ontario and then throughout Canada. The National and Provincial Parks Association of Canada organized in 1963 to counteract the pressure of commercial development within wilderness parks; it has since evolved into the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society, intent on preserving one-half of the country's public land forever wild for the public trust. Canadians also created national offshoots of American and global conservation groups. The WORLD WILDLIFE FUND CANADA, an offshoot of the international organization, was founded in 1967. The Sierra Club opened provincial offices in British Columbia and Ontario in the late 1960s, and e established national operations in 1989.

Demographic FactorsThe population of Canada has doubled since

1960, which has made the nation's people more aware of the degradation of its natural resources and the alarming long-term consequences of this continuing process. The need to conserve resources and develop conservation policies involving ecological, economic, social, ethical, political and legal factors has become increasingly apparent. Canada's great regional disparity in economic development tends to focus attention on the short-term solution of economic problems rather than on the long-term consequences of resource use; hence, resource exploitation often takes priority over wise management and preservation (see REGIONAL ECONOMICS). )

Human FactorsHuman activities are responsible for many conservation

problems, although natural disturbances also have considerable impact. Technological innovations allow increasingly rapid and efficient harvesting of forests, agricultural crops, wildlife and fish. In forestry, chain saws, mechanical harvesters and on-site tree chippers allow the quick and efficient harvest of huge numbers of trees, including stems, branches and leaves.

Forest renewal technology has developed much less rapidly. Forestharvesting activities, forest fires, unsuccessful farming attempts and inadequate reforestation have resulted in a backlog of millions of hectares of forest land that has failed to regenerate with commercially useful trees. Heavy harvesting and processing equipment has been developed for the proposed extraction of energy from Canada's peatlands, placing one of the world's major reserves of carbon under threat. Canada's natural grasslands have been nearly depleted through plowing for agriculture. The development of electronic equipment for locating fish shoals has made fishing more efficient, and the pollution of freshwater lakes by industry has led to serious problems of eutrophication, thereby reducing fish populations and recreational values (see WATER POLLUTION). In spite of attempts to restock lakes and rivers, overfishing in many accessible areas has reduced fish populations. Wildlife remains an important food source for some of Canada's Indigenous peoples, and provides recreation for hunters, as well as considerable revenues. In many cases, wildlife populations are seriously threatened by habitat destruction and by easier access to remote areas by snow vehicles and helicopters. Large mammals and sensitive species are particularly vulnerable. Migratory herds of CARIBOU in northern Canada are threatened by increasing industrial activity in their main habitats and along migration routes. Disturbance by visitors to bird colonies may inadvertently reduce nesting success. Human activities have conversely also provided new habitats, enabling some species to expand into areas where they were formerly scarce or absent. Extensive monoculture cropping practices have resulted in increases of some species (eg, red-winged blackbird) to the extent that they become pests, but have caused a marked decrease in species diversity. Exotic wildlife, vegetation and insects have been introduced to Canada. Some have been harmless or possibly beneficial, but many have had disastrous effects (eg, emerald ash borer or Asian carp). SOIL CONSERVATION, the maintenance of soil stability and fertility, is vital if water quality and food, wood, fibre and other crops are to be sustained for future generations. The massive soil erosion and desert formation in farmlands of western North America in the 1930s illustrate the consequence of inadequate soil management (see DROUGHT; GREAT DEPRESSION). Intensive agricultural practices led to widespread reduction of vital organic matter in agricultural soils. Large areas of fertile agricultural soils continue to be destroyed each year by expansion of cities onto productive farmland. Soil stability has long been impaired in some areas (eg, mountainous areas of BC) by forest harvesting, forest road construction and slash burning, but provincial agencies responsible for the management of natural resources are now paying increased attention to environmental concerns. Delays in replacing trees after harvesting result in heavy losses of soil nitrogen caused by the accelerated mineralization of soil organic matter. The trend toward using high-yielding tree species and shorter rotations involves an inherent

risk of accelerating nutrient removal and reducing soil fertility. Considerable proportions of high-grade mineral ores and readily accessible fossil fuels, particularly oil, have been consumed since the mid 1900s to meet the increasing demands of an industrial society and exports. Consequently, industry must now rely on lower-grade or relatively inaccessible mineral and fossil-fuel resources which are costly to locate, e extract, transport and process.

Legislation and Political ActivityCanada's federal structure, with its

national, provincial and municipal levels of government, make the creation and implementation of environmental legislation complex (see ENVIRONMENTAL LAW). Provincial governments are responsible for the use and management of many of Canada's natural resources, so conservation measures often vary from province to province. However, some national standards have been established by legislation such as the Canadian Environmental Protection Act and the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act. The federal government is also responsible for national parks and for the management and use of large areas of land in the 3 territories, as well as international aspects of pollution control, migratory birds, and the import and export of plants and wildlife. Conservation priorities in Canada have developed in the context of an industrialized nation with a rapidly expanding, mainly urban population of now over 34 million people. Heavy and often conflicting demands are being made on the nation's vast but limited resources. Conservation provides a philosophical and conceptual framework within which resources can be allocated in a manner in keeping with the needs, aspirations and advances of society.

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