Water-Centric Planning

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Georgia Basin inter-regional education initiative

    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?”

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    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.

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    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.”

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    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.

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    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.”

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    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!”

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    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.”

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    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.

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    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.

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    NEW RESEARCH FROM IRELAND REVEALS THAT: “Generational narratives make young people more worried about climate change, without any corresponding increase in willingness to engage in climate action”


    “Differences between generations in their contribution to climate change are undeniable,” said Dr Shane Timmons of the ESRI’s Behavioural Research Unit. “But focusing on these differences may contribute to existing misperceptions about the beliefs of others. Instead, communications about climate change that highlight commonalities between subgroups of the population may help to reduce eco-anxiety and foster the kind of cooperation necessary to mitigate and adapt it.”

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