“A number of tools, in particular the Water Balance Model, have been created to help municipalities adapt to climate change. The Okanagan Basin Water Board will be hosting a workshop to get these tools in the hands of the people that need them by bringing in the experts to answer questions and provide hands-on training,” announces Anna Warwick Sears
“As information and communication become more integrated (What was life like before the internet?), distributed networks are emerging as powerful components of our social system. Rather than Big Brother gathering data and taking top-down action, responsibility is shared,” states Anna Warwick Sears, Executive Director of the Okanagan Basin Water Board.
“From 2003 through 2010, the Water Sustainability Committee was the hub for a partnership network operating in the local government setting. Going forward, the Partnership is now that hub,” stated Tim Pringle, Partnership President.
“We spent the last half a century trying to control runoff with dikes, storm sewers, curbs and gutters. Now, increased development and increased storm intensity from climate change are increasing peak flows and altering the rules of the game,” stated Anna Warwick Sears. “Rainwater management keeps water on-site, improving water quality by reducing runoff pollution, allowing the rain to infiltrate and recharge aquifers, and establishing ways to harvest water for other uses. Rainwater management complements management of larger storm events, and reduces infrastructure requirements overall.”
“It takes time to change the local government culture. BC communities now have the tools and the case study experience to ‘design with nature’. British Columbia is at a tipping point. Beyond the Guidebook 2010 sets the stage for ensuring that future settlement change (development) is in balance with ecology,” states Ted van der Gulik.
“What has been lacking is this – written information on green infrastructure from the perspective of elected officials, for elected officials,” said Kim Stephens.
“The overall objective is to move municipal governments beyond conventional stormwater management, and inspire them to use rainwater as an integrated resource. The Rain to Resource workshop will bring together a wide cross-section of interested and knowledgeable individuals and provide an opportunity for them to share their knowledge and experiences. BCWWA is pleased to partner with the OBWB in this initiative,” stated Daisy Foster.
“The majority of the workshop presentations were delivered by members of the “convening for action” partnership network, and were about case studies that are featured in Beyond the Guidebook 2010,” reports Ted van der Gulik. “British Columbia made a conscious decision to follow an educational rather than prescriptive path to change the way that land is developed and water is used. A ‘design with nature’ policy framework enables local governments to build and/or rebuild communities in balance with ecology.”
“It is essential that we continue to promote the efficient use of water and provincial environment policy that would protect the very important watersheds that are under constant pressure for other uses,” stated Mayor Sharon Shepherd.
“We probably all knew that rainwater is a resource, but when we start zeroing in on what we can do, we are going to see how valuable it is. But what about the other Q! It is amazing how many times we look at QUANTITY, and I am from the region that wants to talk about QUALITY. So when we get into rainwater as a resource, it is really important that we recognize the quality of the water that we are dealing with when we put it into our lakes and rivers,” stated Stu Wells.
