“The drought of 2015 suggests we may be crossing an invisible threshold into a different hydro-meteorological regime in Western North America,” observes Bob Sandford
Note to Reader:
On December 1, 2015 the Partnership for Water Sustainability in British Columbia (“the Partnership”) and the Irrigation Industry Association of British Columbia (“IIABC”) are again joining forces to co-host a workshop that is topical. The 2015 Drought is front and centre. To download a copy of the Program Overview, click on Feast AND Famine! – Solutions and Tools in Response to a Changing Climate.
The Climate in BC is Changing: Wetter, Warmer Winters; Longer, Drier Summers
The ‘new normal’ in British Columbia is floods and droughts. The summer dry season has extended on both ends and we can no longer count on a predictable snowpack and reliable rain to maintain a healthy water balance in our watersheds. Annual volumes of water entering and exiting our regions are not necessarily changing; instead, what is changing is how and when water arrives – it is feast AND famine!
The New Normal
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The drought that extended this past winter, spring and summer from Vancouver Island to Manitoba and from Mexico to the Yukon suggests we may be crossing an invisible threshold into a different hydro-meteorological regime in Western North America. This would have huge consequences for water security,” observes Bob Sandford, keynote presenter for the Feast AND Famine Workshop and author of Storm Warning: Water & Climate Security in a Changing Canada.
Water is a Form Maker
“Adaptation is local in application. Hence, this workshop on responding to a changing climate is about solutions and tools that are being developed in BC through collaboration to support practitioners and decision makers to take action at a local level,” adds Ted van der Gulik, Partnership President.
“Water is a form maker. It defines communities. Also, the consequences of our water-centric decisions ripple through time. Recognizing these factors, our workshop is designed to spark a conversation and ultimately inform a shared water-centric vision for British Columbia.”
To Learn More:
Visit the workshop homepage: https://waterbucket.ca/cfa/category/on_the_ground_changes-in-british-columbia/2015-feast-and-famine-workshop/
