Drought creates a ‘teachable moment’ for water-centric planning and climate change adaptation in the Comox Valley
Note to Reader:
The 2009 Vancouver Island Learning Lunch Seminar Series is a collaboration of four local governments in the Comox Valley, the Comox Valley Land Trust, CAVI – Convening for Action on Vancouver Island, the Water Sustainability Action Plan for British Columbia, the Real Estate Foundation of British Columbia, the Green Infrastructure Partnership and two provincial Ministries (Community & Rural Development; and Environment).
Comox Valley Regional District hosts 2009 Vancouver Island Learning Lunch Seminar Series
“Commencing in 2007, Vancouver Island has been the pilot region for a water-centric educational program that is founded on partnerships and collaboration, and seeks to align local actions with provincial and regional goals,” states Glen Brown, Executive Director with the Ministry of Community & Rural Development.
“In 2008, the pilot Vancouver Island Learning Lunch Seminar Series successfully demonstrated how to inform, educate and inspire local government practitioners about making ‘green choices’ to create liveable communities and protect stream health. This created the springboard for a regional team approach,” continues John Finnie, CAVI Chair.
“In 2009, the extreme dry weather conditions being experienced raise questions and concerns about the way we have been building our communities; and furthermore, the climate impacts on the water cycle have created a teachable moment for water-centric planning.”
“The 2009 Series is outcome-oriented, draws on the experience of those in local government, and will focus on how to implement a regional team approach to balance settlement change and ecology. We will connect the dots that will help those in the frontlines lead change and succeed,” concludes Glen Brown.
The Story of the 2009 Comox Valley Series
Click here to access the homepage for the 2009 Comox Valley Series on the Convening for Action community-of-interest. There, the “story of the series” is told in a set of articles that elaborate on the curriculum for the three seminars that comprise the series.
The Province’s Living Water Smart, BC’s Water Plan and Green Communities Initiative provide context for the 2009 Comox Valley Series. They are complementary initiatives, and together provide British Columbians with a vision of what the province can look like if local governments prepare communities for change, choose to be water smart, and strive to achieve settlement in balance with ecology.
Funding for the 2009 Comox Valley Series is provided under the umbrella of the Green Communities Initiative; as well as by the Real Estate Foundation of British Columbia.
Posted August 2009