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As long as widespread deforestation continues, no amount of zoning reform will fix our housing crisis.

By Takuma Valcourt
June 9, 2025


As long as widespread deforestation continues, no amount of zoning reform will fix our housing crisis — not when our water table is collapsing. Forests are not just scenery; they’re living infrastructure that regulate the hydrological cycle, recharge aquifers, and maintain streamflow critical for both human and ecological survival.

In B.C., research from the Pacific Institute for Climate Solutions shows that clearcutting reduces soil infiltration and leads to faster runoff, dramatically shrinking groundwater recharge capacity. A 2020 study in the Nanaimo Watershed found that forest cover loss directly correlated with reduced baseflows in streams and a measurable decline in local water tables.

It’s simple: no forests, no water — and no sustainable housing. Until we shift to bioregional forestry models that protect watershed integrity while allowing selective logging and ecosystem regeneration, we’re just rearranging deck chairs on a sinking ship. Development without ecological intelligence is a dead end.”**Let’s not forget the real estate industry’s role in accelerating this crisis. Speculative land clearing, overdevelopment of sprawling subdivisions, and profit-driven deforestation are all major contributors to watershed collapse. Across Vancouver Island, forested lots are stripped bare long before permits are finalized — not for homes people live in, but for assets investors park capital in.

A 2023 study by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives found that B.C. lost over 35,000 hectares of forest to real estate development between 2000 and 2020, often with minimal ecological oversight. This land loss is a double hit: it eliminates groundwater recharge zones and increases water demand from new construction and landscaping.

We can’t keep pretending housing is being blocked by red tape alone. The real estate lobby has lobbied for deregulation while externalizing the costs of ecosystem collapse onto communities. If we’re serious about water security and sustainable housing, we need a moratorium on deforestation for speculative real estate, and strong incentives for low-impact, water-smart development instead.


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See also:

Eastern values in western trade alliance and how the way we do business does irreparable harm to our trade relations by Takuma Valcourt – CRD Watch Homepage

Index of CRD Watch articles concerning the environment/ecology. – CRD Watch Homepage