From January 27 to 29, water issues in British Columbia were centre stage as watershed groups, researchers, professional resource managers, and decision-makers at all levels of government, including First Nations, came together to re-envision the way we use, share, and respect our natural resources.

Over 200 people—including representatives from the Columbia Basin and online viewers from across the country—gathered at the Quw’utsun’ Cultural and Conference Centre in Duncan, for a national forum on capacity for freshwater protection, with a focus on watershed governance.

“It was very encouraging to see so many local communities from across British Columbia and Canada working together to determine how they can play a stronger role in the protection of their local watersheds,” said Brisco resident Kat Hartwig, Executive Director of Living Lakes Canada, which partnered on the event. “In our watershed, we are confident that with collaboration, particularly between aboriginal and non-aboriginal communities, we can create a bright future for the Columbia Basin.”

The three-day event, Watersheds 2014: Towards Watershed Governance in British Columbia and Beyond, was designed to support skills development and capacity building. It featured leading national and international speakers, and presented a unique opportunity to explore critical and emerging issues related to watershed governance, such as community-based monitoring, public engagement, legal tools, sustainable financing, and shared decision-making.

“Across Canada, and definitely in B.C., there is a rapidly growing movement of community leaders, local governments, and experts who see collaborative, watershed-based approaches to decision-making as essential for protecting our rivers, lakes, and streams,” said Dr. Michele-Lee Moore, assistant professor in the University of Victoria Department of Geography and one of the lead organizers of Watersheds 2014. “Coming out of the forum, the message was loud and clear. Local communities and First Nations want to see their knowledge and interests reflected in decisions that affect their local watersheds. They are ready to be leaders in freshwater stewardship.”

Key messages that emerged from the forum include:

– 93% of Canadians agree that fresh water is our most precious natural resource.

– Watershed governance is emerging as an innovative and viable approach for achieving long-term sustainability and building community confidence.

– A key factor for its success is improved collaboration between citizens and decision-makers at the watershed scale; it must involve the provincial government, First Nations, and local government support.

– In B.C., the new Water Sustainability Act proposed for this spring sitting of the legislature represents a real and imminent opportunity for moving towards watershed governance.

It is critical that the provincial government provides oversight, a basic framework with initial support, and follow-through on commitments to update the over 100-year-old Water Act, and that it establishes strong minimum standards to ensure watershed governance reflects upstream and downstream community interests and ensures basic ecological function.

Lead photo: Comeakin House, Quw’utsun’ Cultural and Conference Centre in Duncan.

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