Convening for Action in British Columbia

The Partnership for Water Sustainability originated as a network in the 2000s as an outcome of the provincial “convening for action” initiative. This multi-year program demonstrated the power of peer-based learning, collaboration and partnerships in combination with a regional team approach that spans jurisdictional boundaries. “When you bring the appropriate people together in constructive ways with good information, you look to them to create authentic visions and strategies for addressing the shared concerns of their organizations and community,” stated Derek Richmond.

In his 1969 book, Design With Nature, Ian McHarg pioneered the concept of environmental planning: “So, I commend Design with Nature to your sympathetic consideration. The title contains a gradient of meaning. It can be interpreted as simply descriptive of a planning method, deferential to places and peoples, it can invoke the Grand Design, it can emphasize the conjunction with and, finally it can be read as an imperative. DESIGN WITH NATURE!.” His philosophy was rooted in an ecological sensibility that accepted the interwoven worlds of the human and the natural.

“Deep knowledge is being ignored or dismissed at an alarming rate. Our world seems to be getting more wobbly, more unstable, more uncertain, and for all sorts of reasons. Storytelling is needed more than ever. It matters how we share information to ensure concepts are conveyed to, and understood by, the people who need to know. Solutions to the issues of our time lie in WHAT stories we tell and HOW we tell those stories. There is tremendous value in networks to help solve problems together. Cooperation will help buttress this wobbly world,” stated Remi Dube.

“Constructive collaboration with others creates a powerful tool that is far greater than the sum of its parts. Because of transformational events, such as COVID, we have rapidly shifted to an era where trusted knowledge sharing has become more important than ever. Ensuring that the decisions we make are sound, inclusive, and knowledge-based means looking beyond our often-self-imposed boundaries. Our first initiative should be to look for history, what has or has not worked and why, and to search out others with similar experience,” stated Derek Richmond.

“Gaps between vision and reality are, of course, standard in politics. What makes this one frustrating to water-sustainability experts is how close to success the green infrastructure push came before it got derailed. Through decades of effort, planning had become policy, and policy had started to become practice. Now the question is whether the high profile of floods, droughts, and population growth will put green infrastructure back in the spotlight—and, if so, whether the decision-makers within Metro Vancouver’s municipalities will correct course,” stated Pamela Swanigan.

“As a magazine editor, I am very keen on showcasing real world water projects, and the people whose lives they impact, with our national audience. The Ecological Accounting Process is a topic that I believed a Water Canada audience would really benefit from and that is why we featured it in the May-June 2022 issue. When I reached out to Kim Stephens of the Partnership for Water Sustainability in BC, he readily accepted my invitation to write an article about how B.C.’s strategy is designed to help communities decide how much to invest in stream protection,” stated Jen Smith.

“What happens on the land matters to streams. The involvement and influence of stream stewards is expanding beyond the creek channel. Teamwork for the common good is a powerful and often transformative experience, particularly when a longer term vision for a local creekshed engages multiple interests, disciplines and local government. Collaboration taps into the passion and ingenuity of volunteers who are driven by commitment. Throughout British Columbia, an amazing network of volunteer groups is working to protect, restore and enhance local streams,” stated Eric Bonham.

“2018 is a teachable year. This past summer, if you wanted to know what climate change will mean to your future, all you had to do was be outside to see what is to come. The entire Northern Hemisphere was impacted by extreme weather – drought, forest fires or flooding. Prominent scientists say 2018 marks a turning point in human history. We may have crossed an invisible threshold into a new climate regime. But it is not the end of the world; just the beginning of another. Many are now thinking about where we are headed and just how fast we may get there,” stated Bob Sandford.

“While legislative reform is a foundation piece, collaboration takes place outside the legislative framework. We constantly emphasized that Living Water Smart is about motivating and inspiring everyone to embrace shared responsibility. Influencing behaviour and attitudes is at the heart of moving from awareness to action.Living Water Smart is a timeless story about the value of water in all its forms and its message continues to resonate with people today. Living Water Smart is an idea that has a life beyond a date-stamped plan,” stated Lynn Kriwoken.

“Home to two-thirds of British Columbians, the mighty Fraser River is the lifeblood of a vast watershed that stretches from the Rockies to the Pacific. The lower Fraser Valley, one of the most productive agricultural regions in Canada, is vital to B.C.’s long-term food security. The Fraser drains one of the most diverse watersheds in North America — for example, its vast lands contain ten of B.C.’s 14 biogeoclimatic zones. Yet many of the Fraser’s 34 tributaries, or riversheds, have been damaged by human activity,” stated Fin Donnelly

“No longer is climate change a future scenario. It has happened more quickly than predicted. The real story is the accelerating rate of change, especially since extreme events create their own weather. The message is clear – for British Columbians to adapt to a changing and unstable climate, a new culture of water is necessary. This is a challenge of our time. The process for adapting starts with an attitude change. Actually adapting requires transformational changes. Yet the real issue is public engagement,” stated the CBC’s Bob McDonald.

“The journey to a water-resilient future starts with Western science acknowledging water for its central functional and spiritual roles in our world. Recognized by UNESCO and the International Association of Hydrological Sciences, Blue Ecology is the interweaving of Western science and traditional First Nations teaching and local knowledge. It is an idea whose time has come. Blue Ecology has five guiding principles – Spirit, Harmony, Respect, Unity and Balance – and aligns with the whole-system, water balance approach,” stated Michael Blackstock.