New Report on Challenges for British Columbia's Water and Energy Resources
“Running Hot And Cold: Case Studies on the Water-Energy Nexus in BC”
A study of water users in BC has found that a lack of key information on water use and low provincial fees are putting BC’s hydroelectric resources at risk. Titled From Stream to Steam: Emerging Challenges for BC’s Interlinked Water and Energy Resources, the report is a joint effort of the University of Victoria’s POLIS Project on Ecological Governance and the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA).
“The report identifies the critical nature of the water-energy nexus—a concept that is rapidly emerging as a major global issue and is being felt in BC. It examines a number of concrete examples from across the province where the interplay between water and energy are becoming very apparent. Importantly, not all the news is bad,” emphasizes report co-author Oliver Brandes, POLIS Co-Director.
“The research shows that when the ecological linkages between energy production and water sustainability are ignored, there are potentially significant and dire consequences. Equally so, when both water and energy are given due consideration, many positive opportunities reveal themselves.”
“If we want to take water sustainability seriously, we will need to make sure we are thinking in an integrated way and, importantly, we need to be thinking about governance. This research report, the first of a series, recommends four key actions that government can take today to start addressing critical priorities and ensure we are protecting water and energy resources in BC, now and into the future.”
TO LEARN MORE:
To download a copy, click on From Stream to Steam: Emerging Challenges for BC’s Interlinked Water and Energy Resources