Alberta Wetland Policy.

Alberta Wetland Policy (2013)’s purpose is to provide a strategic framework to conserve, restore, protect, and manage Alberta's wetlands to sustain the benefits they provide to the environment, society, and economy. The policy covers natural wetlands in Alberta, including bogs, fens, swamps, marshes, shallow open water, all restored natural wetlands and wetlands that have been constructed for the purpose of wetland replacement.
The finalization and implementation of a provincial wetland policy is one of the key actions toward the achievement of the “Water for Life: Alberta Strategy for Sustainability”. The policy focuses on three strategic directions: 1. Enable flexible wetland management; 2. Build effective tools, knowledge, and capacity; 3. Encourage conservation of wetland and voluntary stewardship.
The Alberta Wetland Policy sets several mechanisms and key concepts for the successful implementation of a provincial Wetland Manage System. Firstly, the Policy sets a wetland value assessment system under which wetlands can be assessed according to specific criteria and assigned an overall wetland value to inform management decisions. Secondly, the Policy lays down a “Wetland Mitigation Hierarchy”, a three stages approach that entails: 1. Avoid negative wetland impacts; 2. Minimize negative wetland impacts; replace lost wetlands when necessary. Thirdly, the Policy requires a broad range of integrated data products, such as a wetland inventory.
Furthermore, the policy states that the introduction of this value-based system will require fundamental changes to the province’s existing wetland management program to be made through a phased approach to implementation.
Alberta Wetland Policy poses a particular relevance on how a proper wetland management system increases the resilience of livelihoods to disasters. Wetlands' hydrological function help reducing flooding and soil erosion by storing runoff and slowing down its downstream release. Flood reduction is indeed listed as one of the “Wetland value criteria” to classify Wetlands in one of the Wetland Categories identified by the Policy (Low, Moderate Low, Moderate, High).