Water Issues in Nova Scotia: Land Use Planning

Land use planning is a term used to describe a branch of public policy which seeks to regulate and control land use efficiently and ethically. Land use planning can take into account community stakeholders, socio-economic factors, and conservation issues, to form a more collective vision for development. Land use planning in Nova Scotia comes in the form of Municipal Planning Strategies, Land Use By-laws and zoning. These documents must be consistent with the policies and regulations of the Province. Not all municipalities in NS have land use planning, and as a result there are few regulations in place regarding the control of the use of land.

In the absence of land use planning, freshwater systems can be damaged. Poor development practices such as not establishing proper setbacks or allowing construction on floodplains, can lead to a loss of important habitat such as wetlands. In addition, increased development leads to an increase of impervious surfaces and surface runoff which negatively impacts our water systems. Enforcement of our current regulations and more land use planning is desperately needed in Nova Scotia.