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Partnership for Water Sustainability Annual Workshop Series

Keeping on Track: Risk & Uncertainty at the Nexus of Water, Food and Biodiversity — a call to action by Bob Sandford, water champion & author, at FLOWnGROW workshop (November 2016)


“We need to get a better handle on how even non-tipping points in climate and other parts of the Earth system might cause truly abrupt tipping points in our social and political systems. We need to better understand the ‘critical thresholds’ that exist within our water and water-related climate systems and better connect them to associated tipping points ,” stated Bob Sandford. “You have room to move. Move now while that room still exists.”

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FLOWnGROW WORKSHOP: “I created Blue Ecology, by interweaving the best threads of Indigenous and Western Science, to lay a new foundation, to make water-first decisions,” stated Michael Blackstock


The workshop introduced the vision for Blue Ecology. “Hydrologists and water managers can use the hydrological and Blue Ecology cycles to help explain how and why the climate is changing,” stated Michael Blackstock. “Western science is not wrong. It is just not complete. It is a matter of Western science embracing that water is part of a living ecosystem. Water is a core human interest upon which we can build collaborative cross-cultural climate change strategies.”

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“The Climate Nexus: Water, Food, Energy and Biodiversity in a Changing World” – a new book (2016) co-authored by Bob Sandford and Jon O’Riordan, water champions


“What we have not been good at is understanding the ecological effects of changes to the composition of the Earth’s atmosphere with induced warming,” states Bob Sandford. He insists that there needs to be agricultural revolution to retain far more carbon in soil. And he wants Canada to lead that revolution to ‘protect crucial Earth system functions’. “I think we need agriculture that’s not just restorative but regenerative,” declares Bob Sandford.

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FLOWnGROW! – A workshop on “Balancing Economy, Ecology and Settlement in the Okanagan” (November 29 in Kelowna)


CBC’s Bob McDonald, host of Quirks & Quarks, will provide the big picture from a global perspective and beyond, once again reminding us of the limited amount of fresh water we have on earth, speaking to the need for a global water ethic and awareness as we collectively navigate an uncertain future. This will provide a rousing opening to the workshop. Bob McDonald, Chief Aaron Sam and Michael Blackstock will be the ‘book ends’ for the workshop.

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CALL TO ACTION AT FLOWnGROW WORKSHOP: Science-based Understanding + Inter-generational Commitment = Water-Resilient Communities 


“The FLOWnGROW program has the real potential of influencing how we address water sustainability issues in BC going forward,” states Eric Bonham. “The themes, Whole Systems Approach, reflecting integration through inclusion, Blue Ecology, the interweaving of First Nations and Western Thought and Cathedral Thinking, the foresight and planning for future generations, will set the context for the day.”

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FLOWnGROW WORKSHOP: All-Star Team of presenters headlined by two Keynote Speakers – CBC Radio & TV’s Bob McDonald; and Bob Sandford, author & water champion


“We now realize that our current risk assessments with respect to climate disruption are built on confidence in relative hydrologic stability that no longer exists. This changes everything. We had no idea until recently of how much influence the hydrological cycle has on our day to day lives or on the broader conditions that define the distribution and diversity of life on this planet,” states Bob Sandford.

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YOUTUBE VIDEO: Cathedral Thinking – an idea that takes time to evolve and establish, and ends up benefiting future generations


“Cathedral Thinking has been applied to space exploration, city planning, corporate mandates and other long-range goals that require decades of foresight and preparation so future generations can enjoy their full realization. They all require the same foundation: a far-reaching vision, a well thought-out blueprint, and a shared commitment to long-term implementation,” states Rick Antonson.

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REGISTER NOW for a workshop on “Flow and Grow! – Balancing Economy, Ecology and Settlement in the Okanagan” (November 29, 2016 in Kelowna)


“The Irrigation Industry Association of BC and the Partnership for Water Sustainability are again partnering to co-host and jointly organize a workshop about water management. This is the fourth consecutive year that our organizations have collaborated,” states Kim Kim Schaefer. This year the workshop moves to the Okanagan after being held in the Lower Mainland (2013, 2015) and on Vancouver Island (2014). The workshop will address both immediate and long term water security issues.

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FLOW & GROW WORKSHOP: Blue Ecology water cycle and principles – a unifying theme for “Spirit & Science – An Inclusive Journey” (Module A)


Blue Ecology is a concept whose time has come. Pioneered by Michael Blackstock and supported by UNESCO, Blue Ecology emerged from interweaving two ways of knowing – a First Nations spiritual and traditional ecological perspective; and a Western science secular and ecological (water balance) perspective. “Hydrologists and water managers can use the hydrological and Blue Ecology cycles to help explain how and why the climate is changing,” states Michael Blackstock.

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Lower Nicola Indian Band installs largest community-owned solar panel system in B.C.


The system is designed to help power the community’s school and feed electricity back into the local grid. “It’s not just investing in renewable energy. It’s about investing in our children and our grandchildren and our future generations, and it’s about investing in our environment and taking care of our water and lands and our animals. We think it’s a deeper investment than just a financial one,” stated Chief Aaron Sam.

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