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WWF demands protection of Nunavut rivers

World Wildlife Fund Canada's has concluded an ecological analysis of Canada's 10 longest rivers, including three in Nunavut, and is demanding protective regulations for these waterways.

In its report titled Wild Rivers, it recognizes the Kazan River and the Thelon and Dubawnt rivers, the latter two also flowing through the Northwest Territories. WWF Canada defines a wild river as a "free-flowing river that is not negatively impacted by pollution, habitat loss, habitat fragmentation, overuse of water, invasive species, climate change or alteration of flows."

"Despite these rivers having tremendous ecological value and supporting local economies and community well-being, Canada lacks comprehensive legal tools to safeguard them against large-scale hydropower dams and ensure that any other development is done in a way that maintains the wild status of these rivers," the WWF Canada states.

David Miller, president and CEO of WWF-Canada, called upon governments to protect these wild rivers for the sake of aquatic life, wild animals and ecosystems that rely on them. Miller wants measures to prevent these rivers from being dammed and mandatory environmental assessments for development applications.