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Transcript of Addressing Nature’s Water Needs The science, policy & politics of environmental flows Tony Maas...
Addressing Nature’s Water Needs
The science, policy & politics of environmental flows
Tony MaasSenior Policy AdvisorWWF-Canada
“for any ecosystem function to be sustained, freshwater provides the foundation for the processes involved: a
foundation that has largely been neglected in the past.” Falkenmark, 2003
Environmental Flows
“the quantity, timing, and quality of water flows required to sustain freshwater and estuarine ecosystems and the human livelihoods and well-being that depend on these ecosystems.”Brisbane Declaration on Environmental Flows
©Garth Lenz/WWF-Canada
Renewable Water Supply
Adapted from Postel, 2003
Understanding the problem
Human Water
Footprint
Nature’s Water Needs
Sustainability Boundary
Voice from the past:“Canadians have tended to undervalue instream uses in water
management decisions . . . .” (Federal Water Policy, 1987)
. . . 20 years laterGenerally, decisions to expand cities ... apportion water
supplies…are made on a project-specific basis ... Ecological instream flow needs and lake levels are often ignored or underestimated.”
(Schindler & Donahue, 2006)
Evidence of Neglect
Over-allocation• Fish in the mud
Canada dammed?• 849 large; >10,000 total• Hydropower resurgence• Water-Energy nexus
Socio-economic impacts• Watershed equity
WWF Living Planet Report 2006
Changing science
• Flow as “master variable”
• Magnitude, frequency, timing, duration, rate of change
As many as 207 methodologies….it’s complex.
Minimum thresholds
Natural flow regime
A Governance Problem
“It actually boils down to a value judgment of what we want our
world to look like.” (Instream Flow Council)
So who decides and how?
Policy
Federal• No ‘national’ statement or policy on environmental flows• Federal mechanisms - Fisheries Act, Migratory Birds
Convention Act, SARA
Provinces• Ontario
• PTTW – increased attention to eco-needs
• Low Water Response –local drought response
• Alberta - Water for Life• WCOs – protection of aquatic environment
• Conservation holdbacks – 10% on licence trade
• Crown reservations
Politics – the ‘buts’
Federal• Limited action – jurisdictional wrangling
Provinces• Science policy• Reactive responses• Discretionary decision-making
Big question – How to say ‘stop’…who says it?
Strategies for success
• Send in the scientists• Assessing environmental flows
• Setting limits through proactive planning• Integrating science and policy
• Flexible institutional arrangements• Adapting to climate change, new knowledge
• Progress on the ground• Focus on priority places• Protect Canada’s remaining free flowing rivers