2007 Annual Report from the Chair of the BCWWA Water Sustainability Committee
Note to Reader:
In 2003, the Water Sustainability Committee (WSC), a technical committee of the British Columbia Water & Waste Association (BCWWA), embarked on a partnership with the Province and others to develop and implement the Water Sustainability Action Plan for British Columbia.
Presented below is a report from Raymond Fung, WSC Chair, that summarizes what was accomplished in Year 3 of the Action Plan implementation program.
Our Vision
Stewardship of a limited and vital resource, actively supported by an aware and educated citizenry.
Our Mission
To facilitate the move toward a more sustainable approach to water resource management – at all levels from the province to the household.
Selection of 2006 Accomplishments
- Produced the report entitled, “Water-Centric Planning: Dealing with Uncertainty & Managing Risk,” as part of the Convening for Action in the South Okanagan pilot program (April 2006) and developed a Water Policy Directive in support of the South Okanagan Regional Growth Strategy (November 2006);
- Conducted a half-day “mini-summit’ on Water Stewardship & Sustainability in the South Okanagan, as part of the technical program for the BCWWA Annual Conference, documented in “Report on the Mini-Summit” (May 2006);
- Delivered the keynote address titled, “Convening for Action: Moving Towards a Water-Balance Way of Thinking and Acting in the Okanagan” at the 2006 World Water Day event organized by UBC-Okanagan University (May 2006);
- Participated in a panel session at the Freshwater for the Future: Policies for Sustainable Water Management in Canada conference, organized by the federal Policy Research Initiative and held in Gatineau, Quebec (May 2006);
- Delivered “Celebrating Green Infrastructure: Showcasing Innovation in Greater Vancouver,” a series of three all-day events, complete with field tours hosted by the District of North Vancouver (May 2006), City of Surrey (June 2006), and UBC in collaboration with the City of Vancouver (September 2006);
- Povided program content for Water and Cities: Acting on a Vision conference, hosted by organized by the Wosk Centre for Dialogue, Simon Fraser University (June 2006)
- Partnered with the Ministry of Community Services and Ministry of Health to develop a Small Communities Sustainable Infrastructure Community-of-Interest on the Water Bucket Website (August 2006);
- Partnered with the Okanagan Basin Water Board to develop an Okanagan Community-of-Interest on the Water Bucket Website (September 2006);
- Produced the report entitled, “Water – Choosing Sustainability for Life & Livelihoods: Convening for Action in British Columbia” to synthesize conversations conducted with elected officials in three regions (September 2006);
- Conducted the workshop, “Towards Water Sustainability: Convening for Action on Vancouver Island,” in conjunction with the Water in the City Conference (September 2006);
- Participated in the Soft Path to Water Sustainability panel session at the Water in the City Conference held in Victoria (September 2006);
- Conducted the “Water-Centric Planning & Conservation Breakout Session” at the Building SustainAble Communities Conference held in Kelowna (November 2006);
- Presented at the Sustainable Planning and Community Development Workshop, at the request of Canada Mortgage & Housing Corporation in Dawson Creek (December 2006);
- Presented a session titled, “Changing the Way We Develop Land: Design with Nature,” as part of the GVRD Sustainability Community Breakfast Series (December 2006);
- Conducted a Water Balance Model outreach session in the Cowichan Valley (December 2006)
“In closing, I wish to acknowledge the ongoing contribution of WSC members; your passions and energies continue to inspire me. Many thanks go out to Kim Stephens, whose dedication and hard work resulted in so much being accomplished in the last year,” stated Raymond Fung, Chair, Water Sustainability Committee, in his 2007 Annual Report.
Written in April 2007. Reposted in May 2011