News

From record-breaking droughts and floods to conflicts over use and rights, fresh water across Canada and in B.C. is facing increasing threats. Addressing current and looming freshwater challenges requires new partnerships and innovative forms of shared authority and collaborative governance to respond to the many social and ecological needs of our watersheds.

For nearly a decade the POLIS Water Sustainability Project (WSP), along with many important partners, has been organizing and co-hosting the biennial series of Watersheds events...

On June 5th, building on the successes of past Watersheds events (2012 – 2014 – 2016), the POLIS Water Sustainability Project and partners will be hosting a capstone virtual Watersheds 2018 forum.

“This year, we are trying something new,” said Oliver M. Brandes, POLIS Water Sustainability Project Lead. “Instead of one large, in-person gathering like we’ve done in the past, we are hosting a series of focused in-person and virtual events, all under the banner of Watersheds 2018.”

So far, this series of events has featured a film screening and panel discussion on the Columbia River Treaty, a special session on sustainably science with Dr...

This spring, the POLIS Water Sustainability Project team has been busy hosting and participating in a variety of events focused on various aspects of freshwater governance, planning, and protection. Looking toward the half-day Watersheds 2018 forum on June 5th, each of these recent events has offered different insight and perspective as B.C.’s freshwater community continues to work towards building capacity to advance watershed governance.

Tools for Groundwater-Surface Water Connectivity under SGMA Workshop
March 12, 2018

WSP Lead Oliver M...

On March 23rd Nicola Valley’s five First Nation bands and the Government of British Columbia made history when they co-signed the brand-new Nicola watershed pilot memorandum of understanding (MOU).

This innovative project will promote the co-leadership of water resources by the Province and the Nicola First Nations with an overarching goal of sustainable management and improved health of the Nicola watershed. This represents a potentially leading example of watershed governance in action as B.C...

Collaborative consent provides a powerful way to tackle difficult questions about how Indigenous and non-Indigenous governments can work together to make decisions about water and land use.

Canada’s relationships with Indigenous peoples—and the institutions, laws, and policies governing these relationships—remain fraught with challenges 150 years into Confederation. These tensions are evident in freshwater governance in B.C. where First Nations are excluded from the major decision-making regime; yet the outcomes have a significant impact on Indigenous rights and important cultural, spiritual, and economic water uses...

On June 28th and 29th, 15 Indigenous water leaders from across B.C. came together at the First Nations Water Governance Roundtable in Smithers, B.C. on Wet’suwet’en Territory in the Skeena region. Each participant came from a First Nation community that has made significant advancements in the management and governance of fresh water in its territory. The Roundtable provided a space for peer learning and strategic collaboration, with the goal of advancing the collective vision of Indigenous-led freshwater governance in British Columbia...

In 1993, the United Nations designated March 22nd as World Water Day. People gather to highlight the pivotal role water plays in our everyday lives and reflect on how to best manage this critical resource. In Canada, it has become custom to gather throughout that whole week (Canada Water Week), with events planned in watersheds across the country. Here at the POLIS Water Sustainability Project, we were buzzing with activity throughout the whole month, as we hosted a number of events to facilitate discussion and urge action on priority water issues...