Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement- Cooperation & Collaboration Between the US and Canada

The governing of the Great Lakes is an interesting case in environmental policy because their geographic area spans transnationally. Because of this, the efforts of both the United States and Canada are necessary in order to create meaningful environmental change.  Since ensuring the quality of the lakes as a resource is the responsibility of both of these countries, it is essential that agreements are facilitated between the two that prompt both parties to be involved in a concrete way.  One such example of this sort of transnational collaboration is the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement.  

The Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement was originally put into action in 1972, and has since been modified several times, most recently in 2012.  According to Environment Canada, the amendment of 2012 has refocused the agreement's purpose to "(commit) to a shared vision of a healthy and prosperous Great Lakes region in which the waters of the Great Lakes, through their sound management, use, and enjoyment, provide benefits to present and future generations."  Although the agreement facilitates conversation and collaboration between the two parties, it is not only about discussing these issues, but also about implementing lasting change to protect the environment and the Great Lakes as a resource.  

The GLWQA contains 10 specific sectors, which are as follows: 

Annex 1: Areas of Concern 

Annex 2: Lakewide Management 

Annex 3: Chemicals of Mutual Concern 

Annex 4: Nutrients 

Annex 5: Discharges from Vessels 

Annex 6:  Aquatic Invasive Species 

Annex 7: Habitat and Species 

Annex 8: Groundwater 

Annex 9: Climate Change Impacts 

Annex 10: Science 

{If you wish to learn more about any of these sectors, please follow this link: https://www.ec.gc.ca/grandslacs-greatlakes/default.asp?lang=En&n=45B79BF9-1} 

As you might note, the GLWQA concerns a diverse panel of environmental issues related to the health of the Great Lakes. The agreement itself has been a slowly evolving treaty.  It was initiated in the 1970s originally to help stop and prevent the problem of phosphoric algal blooms in the lakes. In the 1980s, the agreement expanded to include the idea of what is now Annex 1, Areas of Concern.  This to me is an interesting development because it shows that policy makers were serious about restoring even the most deteriorated parts of the Great Lakes Basin.  The amendment of 2012 really brought the agreement into the modern age, focusing on new problems that have more recently developed, with an added emphasis on identification, clarity, and innovation. 

The GLWQA works in collaboration with the Boundary Waters Treaty of 1909 to focus on identifying point and non point pollution, and upholding a commitment of both countries to not pollute their valuable boundary waters. Since the health of the people living around the Great Lakes is dependent upon the health of the environment, the treaty stresses that it is in everyone's best interest to protect the waters. Essentially, the agreement is a legally binding treaty between the United States and Canada to uphold a commitment to the restoration, maintenance, and preservation of the Great Lakes, their shores, and their ecosystems. This protection involves pollution control, allocating governmental funds toward environmental progress, developing clean technologies, and continuing meaningful conservation practices.  The agreement also obligates both parties to monitor the progress of their actions, and provide a certain level of transparency to the public about what steps they are taking to implement environmental change. As far as accountability, representatives from the US and Canada meet in a forum every three years with the International Joint Commission to communicate their levels of progress. Additionally, both sides had to come together to form the Great Lakes Executive Committee, which monitors the specific annexes through sub-departments. Although the GLWQA is an example of traditional government, the agreement places a large emphasis on the participation of not only law-makers but individual citizens, businesses, NGOs and community actors. The agreement maintains that is important for all of these actors to work together to protect this vital resource.  

If you wish to learn more about the details/layout of the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement, visit: http://www.ijc.org/en_/Great_Lakes_Water_Quality.