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“Change involves a paradigm shift from an old way of thinking-and-doing to a new way, typically to replace unacceptable outcomes with acceptable ones,” stated Erik Karlsen.
“When this occurs some might ask why the old way wasn’t designed to anticipate and prepare for its impacts from the outset? And, more to the point, how do we design and implement new paradigms to achieve more sustainable and resilient outcomes; those which consider and address all interests and are capable of dealing with uncertainties inherent in complex adaptive systems.”

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!,” wrote Ian McHarg. He insisted we look at the many aspects of the entire system we are designing. Instead of fighting against natural forces, design in harmony with them.

“Over the last 10 years, the WSC/Partnership has accomplished much. Through a strategic partnership with the Ministry of Environment, we developed the Water Sustainability Action Plan for British Columbia, which provided the framework for our work,” states Raymond Fung. “As a result, the Waterbucket.ca website portal was initiated.  The Water Balance Model was developed.  The Water$ave Toolkit was completed.  The Green Infrastructure Partnership was launched.  And on Vancouver Island in particular, the Convening for Action initiative has inspired a whole grassroots collective.”

“The drought, forest fires and floods that British Columbia experienced in 2003 have created a teachable moment for change in the way we view water in this province,” stated Ray Fung. “Capitalizing on this opportunity, the purpose of the Water Sustainability Action Plan for British Columbia is to promote and facilitate sustainable approaches to water use and water resource management.” Sustainable communities are all about choices – choices that become reality very quickly, with lasting consequences.

“We define conservation quite broadly, to include more than just conserving energy or reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Our long-term goal is build connections between and within communities that result in advancing existing and creating new community-based commitments to actions that support the creation of a conservation culture, and ultimately, conservation itself,” stated Pia Nagpal. “The Conservation Community of Practice, supported by BC Hydro, was created in 2010 to bring together like minded conservation champions across BC to collaborate and share best practices.”

“The inter-regional program will link activities so that everyone can share experiences, benefit from lessons learned, and align efforts with the Living Water Smart and Green Communities initiatives. Collaboration, alignment and consistency in application will create opportunities for everyone to be more effective,” states Kim Stephens. “Each region has developed a provincially significant plan or approach to achieve water and watershed sustainability. All are striving to implement a consistent regional approach that protects and/or restores natural watershed function over time.”

“Numerous groups and organizations implicitly share a vision for integrated water management. Partnerships hold the key to building broad-based support for improving water management practices, and integrating water management with land use,” states Kim Stephens. “The Action Plan was conceived as a partnership umbrella for on-the-ground initiatives that promote water stewardship across the province, and that also inform Provincial policy through shared responsibility.”

To understand where we are heading, we need to understand where we have come from. Historical context is important. The ‘design with nature’ paradigm is borrowed from the seminal book by Ian McHarg because it captures the essence of climate change adaptation. His 1969 book Design with Nature pioneered the concept of ecological planning. Adaptation is about responding to the changes that will inevitably occur. Adaptation is at the community level and is therefore about collaboration. Since 2004, the Action Plan has championed the way-of-thinking and acting embodied in the phrase ‘design with nature’.

“Convening for Action is our mantra. When we gather, it is for a purpose. There must be an action item or an outcome. Our aim is to move from talk to action by developing tools, building capacity, and providing training,” states Ray Fung. He was Chair of the Water Sustainability Committee when it developed the Action Plan in partnership with the Province. The Convening for Action vision is that water sustainability in British Columbia will be achieved through implementation of green infrastructure policies, practices and standards.

“All of us have attended workshops, seminars and conferences where we simply sit and listen all day. And at the end of the day, we go back to our offices and we carry on doing what we were doing. Convening for action…when we are convening in a forum such as the Showcasing Innovation Series, however, it is not just for the sake of listening. Rather, when we leave the forum  we want to use what we have learned so that we can take action and make a difference in our professional lives. That difference is to change the way we develop land,” stater Ray Fung.