waterbucket.ca website tells the story of “Convening for Action in British Columbia”

“The Partnership has rebuilt the highly successful waterbucket.ca website. Why? To offer our visitors a better way to utilize our site and take advantage of the tools and information,” reports Mike Tanner, Waterbucket Chair.

“The Partnership vision is that water sustainability, and hence adaptation to a changing climate, will be achieved through implementation of green infrastructure policies and practices. Our mission is to help facilitate that change. Our focus is on community and regional land planning. We are promoting strategies that integrate decisions about land use and conservation with water sustainability outcomes.”

“Over the past decade, the ‘convening for action’ team has travelled far and wide in BC to spread the word about the Water Sustainability Action Plan and to build a network of regional champions. It is their stories that we are sharing via waterbucket.ca.”

“The region which we believe is demonstrating the greatest progress towards a shared vision is Vancouver Island. From our ‘convening for action’ perspective, we describe Vancouver Island as a flagship region because the success of the ‘regional team approach’ is precedent-setting in scope. Other regions of BC can benefit from the experience gained and lessons learned on Vancouver Island.”

Renewed and Improved

“In conjunction with the rebuild, the Partnership is excited to announce the launch of our newest community-of-interest on waterbucket.ca, namely: Vancouver Island Water. This tells the story of the CAVI-Convening for Action on Vancouver Island demonstration initiative, from its inception in 2006. A quick glance at the menu reveals just how much has been accomplished over the years,” continues Mike Tanner.

“We also encourge those who wish to learn more to check out how the companion Convening for Action in British Columbia community-of-interest has been restructured. This community is home to the Water Sustainability Action Plan, and is truly transformed. Stories about ‘convening for action’ initiatives are organized by region to make access to information easier.

“Work on other communities-of-interest — notably Green Infrastructure, Water-Centric Planning, and Rainwater Management — will be ongoing for some months yet. We will be bringing all up to the same standard of look-and-feel that we have established for Vancouver Island Water and Convening for Action in BC.”

“The rebuilt waterbucket.ca also incorporates the Partnership’s blog. It is there where we post the weekly e-blasts that the Partnership distributes throughout British Columbia as well as beyond our borders.”

Filling the “Expertise Vacuum”

In elaborating on the rebuild, Mike Tanner explains that “the Renewed Website will:

• enable partners, local government, water utilities and other interested parties to realize their goals through networking, sharing of knowledge and expertise, and capacity-building;
• support efforts to promote conservation and stewardship and help convert that information into action;
• provide a Case Study Index (library) to provide a systemic way of looking at events, collecting data, analyzing information and reporting the results as well as providing both proof and assurances for those looking to implement something ‘new’;
• create understanding by providing timely information and access to on-the-ground tools that will ultimately help decision makers and practitioners change the way that land is developed and water is used; and
• have the ability to get your message/s to those who are not only looking for information but have the willingness to act.

“In these changing and challenging times when every level of government is expected to do more with the same resources, the Partnership for Water Sustainability is benefitting from the hands-on involvement of a pool of experienced practitioners who volunteer and contribute their knowledge. By drawing on the wisdom of retired career civil servants, the Partnership is also helping to fill the expertise vacuum left by demographic change and loss of organizational capacity,” concludes Mike Tanner.

To Learn More: