Published On: February 26th, 2021
This position paper was written following a joint meeting meeting between the B.C. Water Leaders’ Network and provincial government staff (ENV, FLNR, MIRR) on the Future of Water and Solutions Going Forward, held in January 2021. It extends several previous Water Leaders’ submissions to offer specific direction to the B.C. government’s new mandates and the current context.
It outlines priority actions for the provincial government in five key areas:
- Bring freshwater laws, policy, planning, and decision-making into alignment with UNDRIP.
- Link land and water in a modernized strategic land use planning regime under the Watershed Security Strategy.
- Integrate water within the Climate Adaptation and Preparedness Strategy.
- Provide dedicated resources via a Watershed Security Fund.
- Develop a rigorous provincial strategy for water monitoring, knowledge, data, and compliance and enforcement.
Statement of Priorities for the Watershed Security Strategy and Fund
