YOUTUBE VIDEO — OUR LOSING BATTLE WITH NATURE-TRANSITION OR DESTINY: “The risks are greater than we were led to believe by government, industry and professionals” – a webinar featuring Younes Alila and moderated by Lori Daniels of the UBC Faculty of Forestry
Note to Reader:
Published by the Partnership for Water Sustainability in British Columbia, Waterbucket eNews celebrates the leadership of individuals and organizations who are guided by the Living Water Smart vision. The edition published on May 21, 2024 featured Dr. Younes Alila of the UBC Faculty of Forestry. Through his research thrust over three decades, he landed on a discovery that challenges mainstream practices and provides the foundation for a paradigm-shift in forest hydrology science and practice.
Watersheds in BC are at a heightened risk
Dr. Younes Alila in the UBC Faculty of Forestry has been making headline news. He is courageous in challenging conventional wisdom about what he believes to be the “misguided and scientifically indefensible” practice of forest hydrology in BC.
“The story of my forest hydrology research over the past 30 years is actually a traumatizing story,” says Dr. Younes Alila. “Most of the landscapes in British Columbia and most of our watersheds are sitting at a very heightened risk when it comes to hydrology and geomorphology.”
“And that in itself is of course a trauma. It is also a trauma personally because the science that I have been building and publishing in peer-reviewed papers goes against mainstream thinking in forest hydrology as practiced in British Columbia.”
“The risks are greater than we were led to believe by government, industry, and professionals. But scholars in the philosophy of science will tell you that scientists will never admit to erroneous precedents. An eminent scientist once said, science progresses one funeral at a time.”
Photo Credit: Conservation North (via Younes Alila)
With the foregoing as context, the reader is urged to set aside 45 minutes to watch the UBC webinar introduced by Robert Kozak, featuring Younes Alila, and moderated by Lori Daniels
“Climate change has elevated the risk of extreme weather the world over,” stated Dr. Lori Daniels when she opened the question and answer portion of the webinar. “In British Columbia, a natural flood risk mitigator lies all around us in the water-absorbing power of trees. In fact, research has shown that even a modest loss of forest cover due to wildfire, logging and disease can cause surprisingly large increases in the frequency of extreme floods.”
“Will dykes, dams and levees be enough to protect against property loss and devastation from floods in the future? How can nature-based solutions, such as forests, and the restoration of natural floodplains and wetlands contribute to flood mitigation? What considerations need to be taken as BC develops its flood risk management strategy?”
To Learn More:
To read the complete story, download a copy of Living Water Smart in British Columbia: Landscapes and watersheds in BC are at a heightened risk.
DOWNLOAD A COPY: https://waterbucket.ca/wcp/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2024/05/PWSBC_Living-Water-Smart_Younes-Alila_Forest-Hydrology-and-Floods_2024.pdf