Okanagan Water Stewardship Council wins first-ever “Water Stewardship Award for British Columbia”
—Minister of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations Steve Thomson presents award to Nelson Jatel, Water Stewardship Director for the Okanagan Basin Water Board.
Award Recognizes Outstanding Achievement, Innovative Practice and Leadership
In recognition of World Water Day and Canada Water Week, the Ministry of Environment presented the Okanagan Water Stewardship Council with the first-ever Excellence in Water Stewardship Award for British Columbia. The Council acts in an advisory role to the Okanagan Basin Water Board. In 2008, the Council released the Okanagan Sustainable Water Strategy.
“The most fundamental contribution of the Water Stewardship Council to water resources management in the Okanagan is that it provides a consistent forum for effective, transparent, and reliable communication among the many levels of stakeholder regarding recent developments and urgent water issues,” states Bernard Bauer, Chair.
“The Watershed Stewardship Council is, if not unique, then certainly unusual in its structural position within the web of jurisdictional authorities spanning federal, provincial, municipal and First Nations governments because it enjoys no legislative power or formal status, yet retains an air of moral authority and practical wisdom due to the wide spectrum of institutions and expert voices it engages.”
“It is a consultative body that continually strives to improve the future of water resources management in the Okanagan and in the province of BC by working in tandem with decision makers and elected representatives who are charged to protect and advance the common good.”
To Learn More:
Click on Convening for Action in British Columbia: Implementation of “Okanagan Sustainable Water Strategy” to learn more about the award and the Okanagan Water Stewardship Council.
