Ted van der Gulik introduces British Columbia's Water Balance Model to an international audience at 2009 Resilient Cities Conference
Showcasing the ‘Water Sustainability Action Plan for British Columbia’
“There is growing national and international interest in how British Columbia has moved 
from awareness to action in implementing green infrastructure practices that achieve water sustainability outcomes,” reports Eva Kras, author of The Blockage.
“As part of the CANSEE contribution to the Resilient Cities Conference, we included a module on the Water Sustainability Action Plan for British Columbia. This created the opportunity for the Action Plan team to elaborate on how ‘green action objectives’ are being achieved in British Columbia.”
“The presentation team comprised Kim Stephens, Eric Bonham, Mike Tanner and Ted van der Gulik – representing the Water Sustainability Committee of the British Columbia Water & Waste Association (BCWWA). Ted van der Gulik told the story of the Water Balance Model.
About the Water Balance Model
“The Water Balance Model supports new approaches to water management, and will facilitate informed decision-making about climate change adaptation,” says Ted van der Gulik, Chair of the Inter-Governmental Partnership that developed and maintains the Water Balance Model.
“The Water Balance Model enables comparison of land development scenarios. The comparison process creates understanding, especially when the focus is on the hydrologic implications of the assumptions that underpin the scenarios.”
“The Water Balance Model is moving toward an expert system with broad capabilities that can quickly provide answers to questions, and compare a number of site/watershed conditions, while giving consideration to the effects of climate change.”
Link to YouTube Video
A video clip has been uploaded to YouTube to provide a record and capture the flavour of how Ted van der Gulik told the story of the Water Balance Model. To watch the 5-minute video, click here.
To download the set of PowerPoint slides that accompany the YouTube video, click on Living Water Smart – Doing Business Differently.
About the Resilient Cities Conference
Sustainability imperatives, the call for climate action, and the pressure for new approaches in almost every urban system have North American cities scrambling to manage the shift toward ecological practices and greater resilience.
To provide solutions to these challenges, three organizations – the Center for Urban Innovation, Smart Growth BC,and the Canadian Society of Ecological Economics (CANSEE) – combined forces to co-host Resilient Cities: Urban Strategies for Transition Times in October 2009. The conference was held in Vancouver.
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Posted October 2009