18°c A few clouds
15°c Cloudy periods
Winnipeg Free Press - ONLINE EDITION
Lake Winnipeg nominated for 'Threatened Lake of the Year, 2013' award
Aerial photo showing algae blooms on Lake Winnipeg in 2010. (SUPPLIED PHOTO)
Former Threatened Lakes of the Year:
2012: Lake Titicaca, Bolivia and Peru
2011: Laguna de Fúquene, Colombia
2010: Pulicat Lake, India
2009: Lake Atitlan, Guatemala
2008: Mahakam Wetlands, Indonesia
2007: Pantanal, Brazil, Paraguay and Bolivia
2006: Dead Sea, Israel, Jordan and Palestine
2005: Lake Victoria, Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda
2004: Lake Chapala, Mexico
Lake Winnipeg is in the running for 'Threatened Lake of the Year, 2013,' according to Global Nature Fund.
The organization said in a release today the Lake Winnipeg nomination was made by affiliate Living Lakes Canada. Global Nature Fund chooses the most-threatened lake in the world annually.
"As one of the largest lakes in the world, Lake Winnipeg is very well known, but not much is known internationally about the dramatic environmental problems of the lake and the wetlands in its watershed," said Udo Gattenlöhner, of Global Nature Fund.
Past winners include Lake Titicaca, on the borders of Bolivia and Peru, and the Dead Sea, which is shared by Israel, Jordan and Palestine.
"Many people in Germany and throughout Europe believe environmental problems hardly occur in Canada," Gattenlöhner said. "However, recent changes in Canadian policies seem to be eroding the protection particularly of vulnerable water ecosystems — and it is disappointing because this does not really fit with our image of Canada".
Global Nature Fund said Lake Winnipeg is the 10th largest freshwater lake in the world. Its watershed spans nearly one-million-square kilometres and stretches from the Rocky Mountains to Lake Superior.
Bob Sandford, chair of the Canadian Partnership Initiative in support of the U.N. Water for Life Decade, said: "Lake Winnipeg has at last been identified internationally as one of the world’s great fresh water disasters, just as many scientists predicted. Despite the efforts and good intentions of concerned Manitobans, Canada’s international environmental reputation has been down-graded to below that of a developing nation."
The ‘Threatened Lake of the Year’ will picked Feb. 2, 2013 on World Wetland Day.
"Lake Winnipeg is increasingly threatened by activities that destroy natural habitats, exacerbate flooding, reduce biodiversity, and contribute to climate warming," said Alex Salki, Science Advisory Council Chair to the Lake Winnipeg Foundation. http://www.lakewinnipegfoundation.org/
More Latest News
- Back to Top
- Return to Latest News
More Latest News
(1 of 50 articles for this week)
Crowds of protesters demonstrate in at least 8 Brazilian cities, venting complaints about govt
06/18/2013 12:06 AM 0
Poll
Most Popular Latest News
- Young girl found dead on railway tracks
- Toronto woman dead in rural Manitoba ATV wreck
- Report: Saatchi cautioned over London assault on TV presenter wife Nigella Lawson
- Kenyan wins Manitoba Marathon
- Three-year-old girl drowns at Cross Lake First Nation
- Montreal's interim mayor, a self-styled corruption fighter, faces fraud charges
- HSC Home Lottery winners announced
- UFC army conquers Winnipeg in one day
- Hong Kong flight with passenger who claimed everybody poisoned lands in US; police greet plane
- Family tweets indicate Kim Kardashian gives birth several weeks ahead of due date
- Young girl found dead on railway tracks
- Hailstorm wreaks havoc on Winnipeg garden centre
- HSC Home Lottery winners announced
- Jaimie Creasy becomes first woman to graduate from RRC with degree
- RCMP say woman deliberately murdered her sister with her car
- Toronto woman dead in rural Manitoba ATV wreck
- Manitoba restaurant stops selling giant hamburger "for obvious reasons"
- Bomber fans wowed by new stadium
- Portage Ave. stretch re-opens after Friday-night bomb scare
- Kenyan wins Manitoba Marathon
- Young girl found dead on railway tracks
- Man dies after being pulled from vehicle submerged in Winnipeg retention pond
- Hailstorm wreaks havoc on Winnipeg garden centre
- 87-year-old woman tells jurors, 'Somebody had to stand up to' Donald Trump
- Two people killed in crash north of Winnipeg
- Two Winnipeg teens identified as victims of crash
- Father, daughter seriously injured in ATV crash
- Chiropractor guilty of sexually assaulting, beating ex-girlfriend
- Filipino singer Charice comes out as lesbian; Catholic official says she's in identity crisis
- HSC Home Lottery winners announced
- Three-year-old girl drowns at Cross Lake First Nation
- Report: Saatchi cautioned over London assault on TV presenter wife Nigella Lawson
- MTS providing tower, charging station for Dauphin Countryfest fans
- Winnipeg's got the REIT stuff
- The crime fighter's revolution
- To hike or not to hike? Retailers unsure what to charge for PST on July 1
- Blood, sweat and cheers: Mixed martial arts goes from gory nights to glory days
- Exchange District BIZ rolls out recycling bins
- HSC Home Lottery winners announced
- Toronto woman dead in rural Manitoba ATV wreck
- App could give Winnipeggers chance to report bad parking, get paid
- Hailstorm wreaks havoc on Winnipeg garden centre
- Sobeys gobbles up Safeway
- Jaimie Creasy becomes first woman to graduate from RRC with degree
- Priest kept silent about accusations against Storheim, court hears
- Manitoba restaurant stops selling giant hamburger "for obvious reasons"
- Yaz and Yasmin pills linked to 23 deaths, say Health Canada documents
- Geothermal heat coming to some Manitoba First Nations
- Spiralling cost of land raises new home prices
- Rogers and MTS announce new network sharing agreement
- New owner for lumber stores
- Chiropractor guilty of sexually assaulting, beating ex-girlfriend
- Grocer Joe Cantor dies at 88
- Door openers being used to break into garages, police warn
- Province formally opens Mental Health Crisis Response Centre
- Hailstorm wreaks havoc on Winnipeg garden centre
- New rules let customers cancel phone contracts without penalty after two years
- App could give Winnipeggers chance to report bad parking, get paid
- MTS to sell Allstream to Egyptian investment group, focus on Manitoba market
- Police: US driver drove drunk while having sex, crashed, hid behind cactus
Ads by Google
You can comment on most stories on winnipegfreepress.com. You can also agree or disagree with other comments. All you need to do is be a Winnipeg Free Press print or e-edition subscriber to join the conversation and give your feedback.
You can comment on most stories on winnipegfreepress.com. You can also agree or disagree with other comments. All you need to do is be a Winnipeg Free Press print or e-edition subscriber to join the conversation and give your feedback.
Have Your Say
New to commenting? Check out our Frequently Asked Questions.
Have Your Say
Comments are open to Winnipeg Free Press print or e-edition subscribers only. why?
Login SubscribeHave Your Say
Comments are open to Winnipeg Free Press Subscribers only. why?
SubscribeThe Winnipeg Free Press does not necessarily endorse any of the views posted. By submitting your comment, you agree to our Terms and Conditions. These terms were revised effective April 16, 2010.