“We are CONNECTING THE DOTS between land use planning, development, watershed health AND infrastructure asset management. Those operating in the local government setting can now access tools and experience that will enable them to make a difference. The approach is keyed to three words: ALIGNMENT, COLLABORATION, INTEGRATION,” stated Kim Stephens.
“The Water Sustainability Act will help lighten BC’s water footprint and transition the province to a 'design with nature' way of developing land and managing water,” stated Tim Pringle.
“It’s important now that we realize that water policy and effective improvement of the way we manage water is not merely a government strategy anymore— it has to be a broader societal commitment which includes the average citizen who has an interest in what’s happening in his or her watershed,” says Bob Sandford.
“The Action Plan is a key element of the implementation strategy for Living Water Smart. In a nutshell, we are providing program delivery in a local government setting. Beyond the Guidebook 2010 shows how to achieve water sustainability through outcome-oriented urban watershed plans. The stories of how change is being implemented demonstrate that the practitioner and community culture is changing as an outcome of collaboration and partnerships,” stated Kim Stephens.
“Designing with nature captures the essence of climate change adaptation. Adaptation is about responding to the changes that will inevitably occur. Adaptation is at the community level and is therefore about collaboration. Rainwater management is at the heart of designing with nature,” stated John Slater. “When Kim Stephens asked me what does a lighter hydrologic footprint mean to me, I pointed across the street to the new Tim Horton’s. No water that falls on the building or on the parking lot leaves the site.”
“In 2003, we moved into a vacuum as the Water Sustainability Committee. Through collaboration, we built a network in the local government setting. We have demonstrated that the collaborative approach works. Morphing the ‘convening for action’ network into a legal entity is a natural evolution. It means we can raise the bar for doing business differently. It opens new doors and broadens our reach. It enhances our ability to connect with champions in other jurisdictions and sectors who share a vision for British Columbia,” stated Kim Stephens.
In 2002, BC’s Stormwater Planning Guidebook introduced a set of five guiding principles. These are captured by the acronym ADAPT, where the “P” stands for Plan at four scales – regional, watershed, neighbourhood and site.”In integrating actions at four scales, the intended purpose of an Integrated Stormwater Management Plan is to provide a clear picture of how local governments can be proactive in applying land use planning tools to protect property and aquatic habitat, while at the same time accommodating land development and population growth,” stated Peter Law.
The Water Panel comprised Lynn Kriwoken, Ted van der Gulik and Kim Stephens. They described the suite of tools that enable water-centric planning and water smart choices .
“Living Water Smart provides British Columbians with a vision of what the regions of our province can look like if local governments prepare communities for climate change, choose to be water smart, and strive to achieve settlement change in balance with ecology. The Action Plan partners are playing a key delivery role. In effect, the Action Plan partners are functioning as the on-the-ground Living Water Smart implementation arm with local government. The in-kind support from local governments is substantial and growing,” stated Kim Stephens.
“Four of these tools — the Water Balance Model, the Water Conservation Calculator and the two Irrigation Scheduling Calculators — are built on a Universal Calculator technology platform. “We now have the tools that we need to influence practitioner and community behaviour. Also, the programs these tools support are linked. So, in 2010 our mission is to link everything together,” stated Ted van der Gulik.
