Canada

One of the largest countries, Canada, has a population of 27.7 million, and one of the lowest population densities, 3 people per square kilometre; however, the population is highly urbanised. Almost 90 per cent of the country is uninhabited.

Proximity to the immense US market and a wealth of natural resources have contributed greatly to Canada's well-being. The province of Ontario has the largest manufacturing base and agricultural sector, a population of 10 million and 40 per cent of the national gross domestic product (GDP).

Responsibility for environment protection and nature conservation in Canada is shared by the federal and provincial governments; the municipal governments have powers assigned to them at the discretion of the provincial legislatures. The federal government and most of the 10 provinces have created departments of the environment; all have created advisory bodies.

The Department of the Environment (Environment Canada) was created at the federal level in 1971; it has an overall responsibility for protecting the country's environment and natural resources. The department absorbed the functions of several other federal bodies for the environment. Environment Canada is organised into seven services: the environmental protection service develops and enforces environmental regulations, guidelines, codes, and protocols introduced under federal legislation for air and water pollution, solid waste management, and resource recovery, noise, contaminants, and EIA. The service liaises with provincial agencies, industry, other federal agencies, and the general public. Checklist 8.1 indicates the evolution of environmental management in Canada since 1868.