Many wild areas rich in natural diversity (e.g. wetlands, forests, moraines) are disappearing. Any remaining natural areas that are close to urban developments are suffering.

Streams, rivers, lakes and ponds are polluted when pesticides and fertilizers from lawns and golf courses run off concrete and asphalt, and when storm water systems get too full and cause flooding.

	The water you drink comes from rivers and lakes or aquifers that contain groundwater. What you do on your land can easily contaminate these important sources of drinking water. In Canada, nearly nine million people rely on groundwater for domestic use. - Environment Canada

Also, aquifers (natural reservoirs of water found underground) aren't adequately replenished (from precipitation) when they are under paved, non-porous surfaces such as concrete and asphalt. To prevent aquifers from drying up, precipitation has to fall onto surfaces (e.g. gravel, sand or soil) that can absorb water and there is trouble when developed areas do not have such porous and absorbent surfaces.

When humans deplete water supplies for agriculture, housing and industry faster than nature can replenish itself, ground water table levels drop and habitats, especially wetlands, suffer.