Sustainability Report

2005 Provincial Sustainability Report for Manitoba

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

This is the first Sustainability Report for Manitoba, required under The Sustainable Development Act.  Its purpose is to provide Manitobans with timely, accurate information on important sustainability issues and trends.  It is a way of monitoring Manitoba's sustainability by tracking and interpreting key indicators in the province's many sectors.  By studying and reporting on these indicators, Manitobans can be kept informed about the progress taking place and be encouraged to participate in the long-term strategies for sustainable development in Manitoba.

Summary of Indicators and Trends

Following is a summary of the indicators presented in this report, their associated trends and the pages where they are located.  The indicators are organized within a framework of three dimensions – natural environment, economy and social well-being. For a full interpretation of the indicators and their implications for sustainability, see the relevant chapter in this report.

Natural Environment

The natural environment dimension, presented in Chapter One, consists of six categories of indicators, each addressing a specific environmental/resource area. These indicators will help determine whether nature’s life-supporting capacity is diminishing or being maintained. The categories discussed in the chapter on natural environment are: biodiversity and habitat conservation; fish; forests; air; water; and climate change (Table A).

Table A. Summary of Natural Environment Indicators

Category Page	Indicator	Trend
Biodiversity and Habitat Conservation	Natural Lands and Protected Areas	Positive	12
	Wildlife Species and Ecosystems at Risk	Unclear	12
Fish	Fish Species Biodiversity and Population	Changing	14
	Commercial Fish Harvest	Varies depending on fishery	15
Forests	Forest Type and Age Class	Stable	16
	Forest Renewal	Stable	16
Air	Urban Air Quality Index (AQI)	Winnipeg and Brandon unchanged; Flin Flon improving	18
Water	Water Quality	Stable	20
	Water Allocation/Consumption	Municipal use positive; Agricultural and industrial use negative	21
Climate Change	Average Annual and Seasonal Temperature	Negative	24
	Total Annual and Seasonal Precipitation	Negative	24
	Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions	Stable	25

Sustainable management of Manitoba's rich heritage of natural resources and ecosystems is a complex task with notable successes along with emerging challenges.  The list of familiar threats to the environment, such as water pollution, has grown to include risks like climate change and invasive species. Many of these issues are linked and cannot be effectively dealt with in isolation. Integrated programs like The Manitoba Water Strategy take these links into account and, therefore, can show significant promise if properly implemented.

The recovery of some formerly endangered species demonstrates that, with the right approach, negative trends can be reversed. However, focused attention is now needed in a number of emerging problem areas. Excessive nutrient loading has contributed to a deterioration of water quality in Lake Winnipeg. Although predicting the nature of climate change and its effects is filled with uncertainties, there remains the potential for more frequent, extreme events and higher costs. In many other areas, such as indoor air pollution, a lack of monitoring data makes it difficult to form any reasonable conclusions. It will be increasingly important to keep a close watch over the state of the environment in the face of continuing change – it may provide the early warning signals needed to adapt in a sustainable way.

Economy

The economic dimension, presented in Chapter Two, consists of seven categories of indicators. These indicators help describe and track the impact of the economy on the natural environment; the ecological efficiency with which the natural environment is converted into goods and services for human consumption; and the level of economic welfare generated. The categories discussed in this chapter are: economic performance; agricultural viability; mining; energy efficiency and conservation; consumption and waste management; employment; and education (Table B).

Table B. Summary of Economic Indicators

Category Page	Indicator	Trend
Economic Performance	Real Gross Domestic Product Per Capita	Stable	30
	Contributions to Gross Domestic Product by Sector	Stable	30
Agricultural Viability	Total Net Farm Income	Variable	32
	Farm Structure	Consolidation increasing	32
Mining	Mineral Exploration	Stable	34
	Mineral Reserves	Negative	34
	Mineral Production	Stable	35
Energy Efficiency and Conservation	Energy Intensity	Positive	36
	Rewable Energy Consumed versus Total Energy Consumed	Positive	36
Consumption and Waste Mangement	Waste Disposal	Positive	38
	Waste Recycled or Reused	Positive	38
Employment	Labour Force Trends	Positive	40
	Labour Force Opportunities	Positive	41
Education	Readiness for School	Not yet established	43
	Literacy	Stable	43
	High School and Post-secondary Education Completion	High school positive University/college stable	44

Based on Gross Domestic Product, the Manitoba economy is holding its relative position within Canada and a trend of continued positive growth is expected. On one hand, this is good news because it contributes to the positive trends seen in employment rates and labour force opportunities in Manitoba. On the other hand, economic progress in Manitoba has typically translated into increased consumption of material goods, and this usually means more material waste. With recycling rates climbing in Manitoba and the rest of the world, society will begin relying more and more on industry to design products and services that minimize waste.

Successes in Manitoba’s agriculture and agri-food sector hinge on local and, increasingly, on global forces of change – as the BSE crisis has highlighted. The average size of a farm in Manitoba has increased over the years due to required economies of scale to offset increased costs. The implications of this shift to economic, social and environmental aspects of sustainability will require study and monitoring in the years to come.

An important component of the economy in Manitoba is the education of our youth. While youth literacy in Manitoba is among the best in the world, some aspects of our children’s readiness for school show the need for stronger learning foundations during their early years. 

Manitoba’s abundant hydroelectricity plays a key role in the province’s transition to sustainable development. It benefits our economy by providing an inexpensive source of energy, and its renewable nature contributes to Manitoba’s energy security. As well, our hydroelectricity is a clean source of energy that is helping Manitoba and Canada minimize their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and meet global commitments on climate change.

Social Well-Being

The social well-being dimension, presented in Chapter Three, consists of six categories of indicators. These indicators help describe and track society’s capacity to create sustainable economic and social institutions, and to care for its members. The categories discussed in the chapter on social well-being are: demographics; equity and rights; community and culture; governance; health; and justice (Table C).

Table C. Summary of Social Well-Being Indicators

Category	Indicator	Trend
Demographics	Population Growth	Positive	48
	Migration to Manitoba from Other Jurisdictions	Positive	48
Equity and Rights	Low Income	Increasing until the mid-1990s and positive since	50
	Income Inequality	Negative	50
	Income Dependency	Positive	51
	Community Supported Living	Positive	51
Community and Culture	Community Engagement	Not yet established	52
	Heritage Conservation	Positive	53
	Primary Language Spoken at Home	Unclear	53
Governance	Voting Rates	Negative	55
	Progress Toward Debt Repayment	Positive	55
Health	Health Status	Not yet established	57
	Access and Quality of Care	Not yet established	58
Justice	Crime Rate	Variable	60

Manitobans are generally healthy, yet particular segments of our population are at high risk of developing certain health problems. For example, rates of diabetes in Manitoba continue to increase.

Manitobans enjoy the many freedoms that are part of life in a democratic society, yet our province and country are experiencing a decline in voter turnout. Manitoba enjoys the benefit of having the second most equal distribution of income in the country, a fact that bodes well for sustainable development.  However, Manitoba's percentage of low-income families remains high compared to other provinces. 

While Manitoba's state of social well-being will always show mixed trends, it is our many positive features that will ultimately attract Canadians from other provinces and citizens from other countries to live in Manitoba and, of ciritical importance, will provide a reason for young Manitobans to remain in our province.