WATER SUSTAINABILITY ACTION PLAN: The Partnership’s Water-Centric Planning community-of-interest provides a legacy record for preserving stories about “Living Water Smart, British Columbia’s Water Plan” and adapting to a changing climate
“The partnership umbrella provided by the Water Sustainability Action Plan has allowed the Province to leverage partnerships to greatly enhance the profile and resulting impact of Living Water Smart. In effect, the Action Plan partners are functioning as the on-the-ground Living Water Smart implementation arm with local government, allowing my team to focus on legislative reform. Living Water Smart comprises 45 commitments grouped into five themes. The Action Plan has played a key delivery role in two of the five,” stated Lynn Kriwoken.
WATER SUSTAINABILITY ACTION PLAN: Metro Vancouver guidance document for a “Watershed / Landscape-based Approach to Community Planning” is the genesis for an actionable vision for water-centric planning in British Columbia
Published in March 2002 by the Greater Vancouver Regional District, the “Watershed / Landscape-Based Approach to Community Planning” was developed by an interdisciplinary working group and is the genesis of “water-centric planning”. “An important message is that planning and implementation involves cooperation among all orders of government as well as the non-government and private sectors,” stated Erik Karlsen.
WATER SUSTAINABILITY ACTION PLAN: Historical context for evolving from a community-of-interest on the waterbucket.ca website to implement and mainstream “Water-Centric Planning” in British Columbia
“Originally, this COI was to be called Watershed-Based Planning for consistency with the community planning element of the Water Sustainability Action Plan. However, federal and provincial funding enabled us to broaden the scope of the COI to encompass a spectrum of perspectives, ranging from provincial watershed planning to local government community planning. This expanded scope is an ambitious undertaking. We are excited by the challenges that integration of perspectives involves,” stated Robyn Wark.
LIVING WATER SMART IN BRITISH COLUMBIA: “The history of green infrastructure innovation in Metro Vancouver over the past three decades is defined by four distinct eras, with the period of time for each varying between 6 and 9 years,” stated Kim Stephens, Partnership for Water Sustainability in BC
“Three decades and counting! Being in the room when ideas were conceived and decisions made is a core part of my lived experience,” stated Kim Stephens. “For the past 21 months, my time and energy have gone into interviews and writing the Chronicle, with the goal of distilling the history to answer a 2-part question. In a journey defined by collaboration and a regional team approach…What did we learn at each stage from 1994 through 2024? And how can the next generation of elected and aspiring leaders use this knowledge as a launchpad to do better?”
LIVING WATER SMART IN BRITISH COLUMBIA: “How might our understanding of nature change if we recognize non-human stories conveyed in codes, signs, colors, body language, gestures, and signals, as stunning narratives,” wonders Dr. Serpil Oppermann, co-editor of The Bloomsbury Handbook to the Blue Humanities (scheduled for publication in 2025)
The Bloomsbury Handbook to the Blue Humanities includes a 6000-word chapter by Michael Blackstock on Blue Ecology. Turkish academic Dr. Serpil Oppermann is the catalyst behind the handbook and one of four co-editors. “I am very happy to have Michael Blackstock in the Bloomsbury Handbook to the Blue Humanities. I was overjoyed when he accepted our invitation,” she said. “ Her work explores the intersecting perspectives of natural sciences and environmental humanities. Her mission is to be a bridge between humanities and science studies.
FUSION OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND NATURAL INTELLIGENCE: “Natural Intelligence, as I define it, is not just a concept; it is a call to action. It urges us to re-evaluate our relationship with water,” stated Michael Blackstock, independent Indigenous scholar and co-founder of the Blue Ecology Institute
“There is untapped intelligence out there in nature. It is on our doorstep but we are tapping it even less because we are so focused on Artificial Intelligence,” says Michael Blackstock. “There is this vast amount of wisdom out there that Indigenous peoples have seen forever…and that is Natural Intelligence…NI. Avoid getting caught up in only looking to AI to solve your problems. The balance principle is central to Natural Intelligence and Blue Ecology. It calls for a narrative shift towards healing and giving back to the environment. It is about creating a reciprocal relationship with nature.”
AGRICULTURAL WATER RESERVE FOR BRITISH COLUMBIA: “Without a protected water supply for agriculture, we risk losing local farms and, in turn, our ability to produce healthy, affordable and locally grown food,” wrote Jeremy Dunn, Kevin Boon and Danielle Synotte in their call for action
“Local producers need sufficient access to water to grow crops, feed livestock and maintain healthy soil. In times of drought or water scarcity, a lack of water directly threatens food production and jeopardizes the livelihoods of farmers. Provincial food security hinges on predictable water availability. The impacts of climate change have disrupted this balance, casting doubt on the future of agriculture. Protecting water access for agricultural purposes is essential to maintaining food security for current and future generations,” wrote Kevin Boon and his co-authors.
LIVING WATER SMART IN BRITISH COLUMBIA: “The task at hand is about how to redefine things in a new political environment so you would be able to get a new vision and new political commitment,” stated Ray Fung, stated Ray Fung, a retired Director of Engineering in local government, and former Chair of the Green Infrastructure Partnership
“With the housing issue dominating the conversation, how will you reframe the goal and objective for restoration of stream systems in a way that restores political commitment and rebuilds the coalition? What combination of public self-interest and political lever will it take to effect change? What would leveraging political commitment and self-interest look like for rainwater management and riparian forest integrity in today’s context? What combination will it take to effect change? Learn from past experience. There is no time to reinvent the wheel,” stated Ray Fung.
TODAY’S DECISIONS – TOMORROW’S FUTURE: “During times of crisis, a few leaders always step into the spotlight with a new vision bridging conflicting worldviews. Michael Blackstock is one of these visionaries,” stated Glen Brown, Chair of Asset Management BC, when he announced the keynote speaker for the AMBC annual conference in November 2024
“During times of crisis, a few leaders always step into the spotlight with a new vision bridging conflicting worldviews. Michael Blackstock is one of these visionaries,” stated Glen Brown. “As an Independent Indigenous Scholar and founder of the Blue Ecology™ theory, Michael Blackstock offers a unique First Nations perspective on the climate crisis, inserting water into the difficult debates about carbon emissions. His ability to mediate grew out of a uniquely diverse background as a writer, a thought leader, and Forester. He has written over two dozen peer reviewed papers.”
LIVING WATER SMART IN BRITISH COLUMBIA: Robert Hicks is skilled at providing historical context and perspective for “the big picture” of today
Robert Hicks co-created the “streams and trees component” Integrated Liquid Waste and Resource Management Plan for Metro Vancouver. “There was a time when the value of managing drainage on a watershed basis within a broad framework of land management and ecosystem planning was not yet apparent. Research on stream health changed all this,” stated Robert Hicks. “In recent years, I have been advocating about the connection between rainwater management and groundwater. It is a slow process. You just have to say it enough times: groundwater and infiltration!”
LANDSCAPES AND WATERSHEDS IN BC ARE AT A HEIGHTENED RISK: “While scientists have determined a causal link between logging and flood events, the historical approach to incorporating flood management into forestry planning has been overly simplistic,” wrote Dr. Julee Boan in an article for the Natural Resources Defense Council
“Flood projections often haven’t reflected the true risk of flooding after logging. Extreme flooding events are increasing with climate change. Research shows how clearcut logging increases risks to communities and ecosystems,” stated Julee Bean. “Decades of research by Dr. Younes Alila have shown that conventional scientific methods have underestimated the role of industrial logging in elevating flood risk and have led to forest management policies and practices that “severely and consistently underestimated” the impact of forest cover loss on flood risk.”
BLUE ECOLOGY IS FUNDAMENTALLY ABOUT AN ATTITUDE CHANGE: “When you examine what comprises the heat balance, carbon is definitely a factor. But it only accounts for 4% compared to 95% for water. People do not understand this linkage,” stated Michael Blackstock, independent Indigenous scholar and co-founder of the Blue Ecology Institute
“Every year I listen to the climate change debates. Scientists talk about temperature rise to one decimal place. An image of a committee with their hands on a thermostat popped into my mind. And they are trying to adjust it. There is so much arrogance in that, and so much naivety at the same time,” stated Michael Blackstock. The image of a Climate Change Thermostat draws attention to the flaws in a “slice-and-dice” approach that does not account for the interaction of variables within a system.
ARE WATER CYCLES THE MISSING PIECE OF THE CLIMATE CHANGE CRISIS? — “No plants, no rain. Water begets water, say hydrologists; soil is the womb, vegetation is the midwife,” wrote Eurof Uppington in an article for Euronews (March 2024)
“Warming is speeding up, and many climate scientists worry something may be missing from the models. Could the answer lie in an inconvenient and forgotten, but critically important piece of climate science? Water cycles are beautifully complex, with endless feedback loops. Modelling them is a huge challenge most climate simulators, seeking clear outputs for policymakers, shy away from. The effect of CO2 by contrast is simple, and aesthetically boring, but easier to explain,” wrote Eurof Uppington.