LIVING WATER SMART IN BRITISH COLUMBIA: GreenLink 2010 Conference included panel on ‘Smarter Water Management’ – the panel described how the Province and partners have developed a suite of tools to support new approaches to water management
Linking: Sustainable Communities, Investment Capital, Technology, and Government
GreenLink 2010, an international conference on sustainable development, brought the full package of information on “how to”, utilizing world-class subject matter experts and showcasing elite projects from around the globe. David Suki, award-winning scientist, environmentalist and broadcaster, was the featured keynote speaker.
To Learn More:
For a complete listing of who spoke and what they spoke about, click on GreenLink 2010 Conference – Final Program.
Smarter Water Management
Dr Peter Williams, the Chief Technology Officer for IBM’s Big Green Innovations incubator, was the moderator for the Smarter Water Management panel session. He has had a major role in developing IBM’s water management solution framework and a number of specific areas of intellectual property within that. He has also been heavily involved in creating the intellectual foundation for IBM’s Smarter Planet initiative.
The Water Panel comprised Lynn Kriwoken, Ted van der Gulik and Kim Stephens. They represent the BC Ministry of Environment, BC Ministry of Agriculture & Lands, and the Water Sustainability Action Plan for British Columbia, respectively.
The high-profile GreenLink 2010 Conference provided an opportunity to continue the provincial rollout of Beyond the Guidebook 2010: Implementing a New Culture for Urban Watershed Protection and Restoration in British Columbia.
“It was a real pleasure to take part in the panel and in particular to hear about the far-sighted and imaginative approach that the BC Government is taking to identifying, managing and educating people about the province’s water management issues. I am sure that this approach will provide lessons for other areas that seek to address their water management needs,” stated Peter Williams.
Living Water Smart in British Columbia
“Launched in 2008, Living Water Smart, British Columbia’s Water Plan is the B.C. government’s vision and commitment to ensure our water stays healthy and secure. The plan focuses on improving water laws and information to deal with pressures on water, preparing communities for climate change, and encouraging British Columbians to choose to live water smart,” stated Lynn Kriwoken, the Province’s lead person for delivery of Living Water Smart.
To help achieve Living Water Smart targets and actions, the Province and partners have developed a suite of tools. These tools are all web-based and accessible to anyone with a computer. They are intended to support new approaches to water management. They can be applied on-the-ground by land and water practitioners. They will collectively influence practitioner behaviour and facilitate informed decision-making with respect to ‘designing with nature’ and building greener communities.
The suite of tools that enable water-centric planning and water smart choices include the Water Balance Model, Water Conservation Calculator, Water Bucket Website, Agriculture Irrigation Scheduling Calculator, Landscape Irrigation Scheduling Calculator and OKIM (Okanagan Irrigation Management).
To Learn More:
To download a set of slides that comprised the integrated presentation, click on Living Water Smart Panel
Beyond the Guidebook 2010
In October 1997, a focus group workshop convened by UBCM set in motion a chain of outcomes that culminated in Stormwater Planning: A Guidebook for British Columbia, released in June 2002. This was a catalyst for change that has resulted in British Columbia achieving international recognition as a leader in implementing green infrastructure.
Released in June, Beyond the Guidebook 2010 is the story of what has been accomplished on the ground over the past decade, through partnerships and collaboration, under the umbrella of the Water Sustainability Action Plan for British Columbia.
The Action Plan is the Living Water Smart implementation interface with local government, and is responsible for two of the five elements of Living Water Smart: (3)efficiency, outreach and public awareness; and (5) community planning and development.
From Awareness to Action
“Beyond the Guidebook 2010 tells the stories: what have people done, what are people going to do, how are they going about it. Telling the stories and letting others hear how people have empowered themselves will help others empower themselves and move the Action Plan forward,” stated Ted van der Gulik. As Chair of the Water Balance Model Inter-Governmental Partnership, he is the Province’s de facto lead person on the rainwater management file.
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In 2002, the Stormwater Guidebook was a transformational document in terms of looking ahead at how we had to change the way we were doing business and start to focus on what we were doing on the ground,” continued Kim Stephens, Action Plan Program Coordinator. “The Guidebook recognized that those who are making decisions on Monday nights at Council meetings…see the individual development applications. So that required a paradigm-shift in the way we do business. We had to see the world through their eyes.”
Links to YouTube Video Clips:
To learn more about what Ted van der Gulik said in his presentation segment that preceded an audience interaction session, click here to view an 8-minute video clip.
And, to learn more about what Kim Stephens said in his segment, click here to view a 5 1/2-minute video clip.
To Learn More:
To download a copy, click on Beyond the Guidebook 2010: Implementing a New Culture for Urban Watershed Protection and Restoration in British Columbia
About the GreenLink 2010 Conference
Held in Vancouver, British Columbia, this two day event “linked” the best of the best in Sustainable Communities, Finance, Technology and Government. It offered delegates a unique opportunity to see, step by step, how these award winning projects have achieved their success, and it also provided business to business matchmaking for environmentally focused venture capitalists.
Perspective of a ‘Green’ Developer
According to Joe Van Belleghem, internationally renowned green developer:
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this conference is the first of its kind to bring together the top names in the world in four major areas: investment, technology, governance and sustainable development. This forum provides an utterly unique opportunity to be in the room with the folks who are funding these projects as well as the masterminds behind the newest green technologies, award winning developers and the key decision makers on government policy.”
Joe van Belleghem conceived and was the developer of the Dockside Green project in Victoria. Dockside Green was the first Leed Platinum ND project .
Posted October 2010