LIVING WATER SMART IN BRITISH COLUMBIA: Opportunities for Law and Policy to Effect Changes on the Ground
At the second seminar in the the 2008 Comox Valley Learning Lunch Seminar Series, Susan Rutherford of West Coast Environmental Law employed a question-and-answer format to illustrate opportunities and scales for law and policy to effect change, thereby suppoprting and achieving the Living Water Smart vision. “Kevin Lagan and Derek Richmond of the City of Courtenay provided me with some questions that are at the forefront of their minds. I morphed what they gave me into generic questions,” stated Susan Rutherford.
Cowichan Water Balance Model Forum introduces “Living Water Smart” application to development community
“The Forum was an outcome of the Cowichan Valley Learning Lunch Seminar Series, also a provincial pilot,” explained Kate Miller. “We described the Forum as a hybrid-training workshop because the day was built around case study applications of the Water Balance Model. These provided the technical foundation for roundtable sharing, exploration and cross-fertilization of ideas on how to implement green infrastructure effectively.”
Water Sustainability Action Plan adds depth to Living Water Smart initiative in British Columbia – “Inter-connected program elements give local governments and practitioners the tools and experience to better manage land and water resources,” stated Glen Brown
“The Convening for Action vision is that water sustainability in British Columbia will be achieved through implementation of green infrastructure policies, practices and standards. Through regional initiatives such as CAVI, which is the acronym for Convening for Action on Vancouver Island, the Water Sustainability Action Plan is adding considerable depth to Living Water Smart. In 2008, CAVI undertook the Vancouver Island Learning Lunch Seminar Series as a provincial pilot,” stated Glen Brown.
British Columbia Real Estate Association endorses “Living Water Smart”
“Living Water Smart provides leadership that will help improve the way we build and protect communities, use our water resources and sustain our quality of life,” stated Scott Veitch, Living Water Smart is a blueprint for cultural, environmental, industrial, community and agricultural change that will help safeguard the province’s water resources into the future. The plan commits to new actions and builds on existing efforts to protect and keep B.C.’s water healthy and secure.
Deputy Minister announces ‘new Water Balance Model’ at Gaining Ground Leadership Summit
The Gaining Ground Sustainable Urban Development Leadership Summit in Victoria was the venue for an announcement by the Deputy Minister (Community Services), on behalf of the Inter-Governmental Partnership about the change-over from the original Water Balance Model to the new Water Balance Model powered by QUALHYMO.
British Columbia to lead Western Water Stewardship Council
British Columbia will establish a secretariat to support a new Western Water Stewardship Council, which will ensure western provinces have a safe supply of water, Premier Gordon Campbell announced in May 2008 after the Western Premiers' Conference.
“They Don’t Want Our Water” – first of two excerpts from new book by Chris Wood
In the first excerpt, Chris Wood observes that activists routinely assert that U.S. states are “looking toward Canada’s water” as a “quick-fix solution” to regional water crises but rarely if ever identify the states in question. Perhaps because none exist.
“The Case for Selling Our Water” – second of two excerpts from new book by Chris Wood
Atlanta’s drought, California’s fires, Mexico’s flood, Canada’s weird winters year after year… this book connects the dots in a lively way between the headlines, the climate science and the forecast for tomorrow and the day after. Dry Spring spells out the weather forecast for North America and the urgent reasons to begin preparing for the storm just over the horizon.
LIVING WATER SMART IN BRITISH COLUMBIA: “Linking water and land management at all levels is critical,” stated Oliver Brandes, POLIS, in an Op-Ed published by the Victoria Times-Colonist (June 2008)
“Not much will change without significantly increased budget commitments for
water. Also, an implementation strategy to achieve the targets and goals must be
established. These are the minimum requirements for turning rhetoric into reality. A long-overdue legislative overhaul of the B.C. Water Act is almost a certainty, but the
process for arriving at legislative proposals is vague,” stated Oliver Brandes.
Urban Development Institute commits to working with government to bring “Living Water Smart” vision to fruition – “Today we are on the brink of change. This is a special moment in time. We have been looking for a clear vision for this province in terms of its water resources,” stated Maureen Enser, Executive Director (June 2008)
“We’re interested in planning for long-term, balanced growth that will leave a legacy for the future – a strategy we see reflected in the Living Water Smart plan. Minister, this is phenomenal. We are committing ourselves as an industry to working with government at all levels to make sure this precious resource is protected for future generations,” stated Maureen Enser.