LIVING WATER SMART IN BRITISH COLUMBIA: “Deep knowledge is rapidly being lost. Organizational amnesia is the consequence, and this creates risks and liabilities for communities,” stated Kim Stephens, Executive Director with the Partnership for Water Sustainability
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 January 21 2025 kicked off the 2025 season of “stories behind the stories” of those who are leading changes in thinking and implementing in BC. The unifying theme for upcoming editions is this question: Will 2025 be the year when decision-makers within government build on lessons from the past to initiate a re-set that overcomes organizational amnesia?
EDITOR’S PERSPECTIVE / CONTEXT FOR BUSY READER
“A recent conversation with Arnold Schwabe was my source of inspiration for featuring the “may you live in interesting times” quote. In mid-2024, Arnold succeeded Wally Wells as Executive Director of Asset Management BC. Our context for meeting was the passing of the baton from Wally to Arnold to continue the collaboration with the Partnership,” stated Kim Stephens, Waterbucket eNews Editor and Partnership Executive Director.
“So, what do we do? Really, it is about focusing on those areas of restarting and refreshing,” states Arnold Schwabe. “And everybody, especially elected officials, having the courage to start making the change that is coming. I want to believe all the things are in place for change to occur, for a reset to take place.”
We see 2025 as the year of the re-set for “whole-system asset management”
“Loss of continuity is happening just when continuity of understanding is needed most,” continues Kim Stephens. “Knowing what we know, the Partnership believes the moment is right to brand 2025 as THE YEAR OF THE RE-SET in an effort to create a self-fulfilling prophecy!”
“Re-set means implement a course correction so that governments would maintain and manage engineered and natural assets as interconnected components within a system that includes the people who live there.”
Avoid the solution becoming the problem

The Partnership’s four parallel tracks of effort would inform a re-set in 2025
“In the case of the Partnership, we are moving along four tracks,” explains Kim Stephens. “Waterbucket eNews featured all four theme areas last year. In 2025, we will continue to connect dots through storytelling about lived experience and deep knowledge that points the way forward for a re-set. Stay tuned!”
“Track #1 is our collaboration with Asset Management BC. Track #2 is the Partnership’s collaboration with Michael Blackstock to mainstream Blue Ecology and Indigenous knowledge as a pathway to Water Reconciliation.”

“Track #3 is our collaboration with provincial ministries. The Partnership understands how government works and is the “water memory” of the Province. At the request of the Province, the Partnership developed and maintains a suite of online calculators that the provincial water management program relies on.”
“Track #4 is the legacy of the Georgia Basin Initiative which is embedded in the Georgia Basin Inter-Regional Education Initiative. There is no formal mechanism to enable or facilitate inter-regional collaboration in BC. Launched in 2012 by the Partnership in collaboration with five regional districts, the IREI fills this gap and fosters peer-based learning among local governments.”
To Learn More:
To read the complete story, download a copy of Living Water Smart in British Columbia Will 2025 be the year of the re-set?
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