Alberta Low Impact Development Partnership Formalizes Operating Structure
Capitalizing on the enthusiasm and early momentum generated by the Okotoks Conference in September 2004, the Alberta Low Impact Development Partnership (ALIDP) is now a reality. The latest developments include approval of a Terms of Reference, election of a Steering Committee, and moving forward with the inter-provincial partnership with British Columbia. The Steering Committee comprises representatives of the cities of Calgary and Edmonton, Bow River Basin Council, and the University of Calgary. The partnersip is co-chaired by Calgary and Edmonton.
Water for Life Context
ALIDP is comprised of municipal and provincial governments, provincial agencies, and non-profit organizations that have a stake in promoting improvements in land development practices so that degradation of the natural environment is prevented or reduced. According to Liliana Bozic (City of Calgary), speaking on behalf of ALIDP:
“The partnership’s mission is to protect and maintain the integrity of the natural environment while promoting the growth and prosperity of Alberta’s urban centres. Our #1 goal is to facilitate the development of a ‘Made in Alberta’ LID strategy that is consistent with and achieves the desired outcomes of the Province’s Water for Life initiative.” Alberta's water strategy has three goals:
- Safe, secure drinking water supply
- Healthy aquatic systems
- Reliable water quality supplies for a sustainable economy.
Collaboration with Britsh Columbia
“We are especially excited by the opportunity to collaborate with our BC colleagues. Through the inter-provincial partnership, for example, we can adapt the British Columbia experience in implementing on-the-ground practices that result in integration of rainwater management and drought management objectives,” added Bozic.
The Okotoks Conference provided the genesis for Alberta-BC collaboration when Kim Stephens, Project Coordinator for the BC-based Inter-Governmental Partnership for development of the Water Balance Model, was invited to make a keynote presentation on the BC experience. Since that date, communication has been ongoing as the framework for collaboration has taken shape.
In March 2005, Mr. Stephens met with ALIDP to present an update titled “Collaboration Context for an Inter-Provincial Partnership: Moving from Talk to Action!” According to Mr. Stephens: “In British Columbia, we have been grinding away on smart development and integrated water management issues for more than a decade. Just as we were able to leapfrog Washington State by learning from their experience, Alberta can similarly adapt our lessons learned in order to leapfrog BC with your LID strategy. We too are excited by the opportunity to collaborate with our ALIDP colleagues.”
First posted on www.waterbalance.ca in March 2005