2021 marks the start of the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development with the tagline “The Science We Need for the Ocean We Want”. Sustainable development of the oceans is essential for life on the planet as recognized in Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 14 – Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources.
Canada has a unique role in ocean stewardship. With over 200,000 kilometres of coastline, representing 15% of the world’s total, Canada is not only the country with the longest coastline, it is longer than the next four countries combined and one of only five countries to border three oceans. The environment around our northern coastline is experiencing some of the most rapid and extreme effects of climate change while raising issues of sovereignty, economic opportunity and the resilience of Indigenous and northern communities.
In the 2016 CAE report “Engineering in Canada’s Northern Oceans, Research and Strategies for Development”, Fellows of the Academy provided a first-hand account of the challenges and opportunities presented by our maritime environment.
Through its Oceans Engineering Program and the June 26, 2022 conference and AGM to be held in Halifax, Nova Scotia, the Academy is seeking to raise the profile of Oceans Engineering as an important contribution to Canada’s future.
