On April 29, 2014 the British Columbia Legislature passed the Water Sustainability Act (Bill 18). The Act recognizes the connection between land use actions and the implications for the both the water cycle and watershed sustainability. This means the Act will have widespread impacts on how water and land practitioners conduct their work. Completion of the enactment process involves development of regulations and Royal Assent.

On May 6, 2014, The Province newspaper published an op-ed authored by Oliver M. Brandes, co-director of the POLIS Project on Ecological Governance at the University of Victoria. He discusses the new B.C. Water Sustainability Act and asks whether British Columbians are in fact getting modern and sustainable legislation. Oliver Brandes is a lead author of the report, A Blueprint for Watershed Governance in British Columbia.

Turn Concepts Into Action

“The act signals a fresh approach based more on stewardship and protection than simply on rules for resource extraction. But, as with all things that really matter, we must remain vigilant,” writes Oliver Brandes. “Hopefully, government will find the resources to turn concepts into action and continue its commitment to open, transparent dialogue to guide us through the next phase as vital details are worked out in regulations. And all of us must become architects of our sustainable water future by ensuring that our leaders keep their promises and the words they use have real meaning and follow-through.”

To Learn More:

To download a copy of the op-ed by Oliver Brandes, click on New B.C. water act generally gets things right (PDF, 582.9 KB)