Partnership for Water Sustainability in British Columbia posts PowerPoint presentations for "Across Canada Workshop Series on Resilient Rainwater Management"

 

Note to Reader:

Starting on October 23 and ending on November 3, the 5-city 2014 Across Canada Workshop Series on Resilient Rainwater Management featured workshop events in Calgary, Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal and Halifax. Practitioners had an opportunity to learn about cost-effective tools developed in BC for climate adaptation and watershed health. The set of PowerPoint presentations which guided the workshop series can be downloaded by clicking on the links included below.

Across Canada Workshop Series_4 modules_Oct2014

Adapting to a Changing Climate

Ted van der Gulik_Halifax-2014_120p_v1“The structure for the workshop program evolved from discussions with our across Canada partners, and comprised four modules for knowledge-sharing. In the first three modules, we told our story. The experience of our team members cascades down from provincial policy to implementation of actions on the ground. In the fourth module, the audience reflected on what we had told them and shared their insights with us,” reports Ted van der Gulik, President of the Partnership for Water Sustainability in British Columbia.

To Learn More:

Click on the links below to download PDF copies of the presentation slides for Module Nos. 1 through 3.

Module 1: Convening for Action in British Columbia (5.3 MB)

Module 2: Mimic Natural Water Balance – Developing Solutions that Build Resilience (19.4 MB)

Module 3: Regional Team Approach – Implementing Changes in Practice (7.3 MB)

Workshop hosted by the Rideau Valley Conservation Authority in the Ottawa region on Oct 30, 2014 attracted 96 registrants to hear "the BC story"

Workshop hosted by the Rideau Valley Conservation Authority in the Ottawa region on Oct 30, 2014 attracted 96 registrants to hear “the BC story”

The Workshop Storyline Resonated With Audiences

Kim Stephens_Halifax_Nov2014_120p“The upfront effort in consulting with our partners during development of the workshop storyline paid off in spades once we hit the road for five sessions in four provinces,” continues Kim Stephens, Partnership Executive Director. “Audience response was consistent – at every location, people told us they found our messaging to be inspiring. From our perspective, that was an important measure of success in sharing our story. It confirmed that we were communicating effectively.”

“In the morning sessions, it was essentially a case of ‘presenting at’ our audiences. Each time, we needed to bring a mixed audience up to a common level of understanding of basic concepts. The process was intense. Our audiences had to absorb a large body of knowledge in a very period of time. And they did. As a result, the afternoon sessions were highly interactive, especially when we went online to demonstrate the power of several web-based tools.”

Workshop hosted by the Ecology Action Centre in Halifax on Nov 3, 2014 attracted 55 registrants to hear "the BC story"

Workshop hosted by the Ecology Action Centre in Halifax on Nov 3, 2014 attracted 55 registrants to hear “the BC story”

Audiences were introduced to the Importance of Soil-Water Interaction

Jim Dumont_Halifax_Oct2014_120p“We were gratified that all five of our audiences heard and absorbed our message about the importance of soil-water interaction, and the need to protect the three pathways by which rainwater enters streams,” states Jim Dumont, the Partnership’s Engineering Applications Authority. “At the heart of the Water Balance Methodology is recognition of the integrated significance of these three flow paths.”

“Defining how much water can be retained, infiltrated, and detained on a lot is a completely different way of looking at the drainage problem and solutions. Surface runoff is a small component of natural watershed function. The key to replicating watershed function and mitigating impacts is understanding ALL flow paths through the landscape. Then, Watershed-based Targets can be distilled into a set of design values that are easily applied at a lot level.”

“The Water Balance Methodology provides a logical and straightforward way to assess potential impacts resulting from urban development; and analytically demonstrate the effectiveness of the methods proposed for preventing and/or mitigating those impacts.”

To Learn More:

Download the Primer on Water Balance Methodology for Protecting Watershed Health.

Soil Horizons