Alberta’s wetlands are a vital natural resource under significant pressure. Despite their ecological importance—providing water storage, flood mitigation, and biodiversity support—the province has lost an estimated 60 to 70% of its wetlands in central and southern regions over the past century. In response, Alberta adopted its current Wetland Policy in 2013, aiming to reverse this decline through a systematic approach to avoiding and mitigating further losses.
Over a decade after the policy’s implementation, this evaluation assesses how effectively Alberta Environment and Parks and the Alberta Energy Regulator have applied the policy’s principles in their regulatory decisions. This background document provides an overview of Alberta’s wetland law and policy framework, establishing the context for the subsequent evaluation findings and recommendations on strengthening the province’s wetland protection regime.