Lessons from Local Integrated Watershed Management

Sonya MeekCWRA National President

Global Issues Project – Water Issues RoundtableCanadian Pugwash – Science for Peace

November 8, 2008

Case #1: Rouge River Watershed Plan

Led by multi-stakeholder task force

Interdisciplinary analysis of future scenarios at all scales on watershed basis

Strategic recommendations to guide sustainable urban growth and watershed regeneration

Approved March 2008 and it’s already being implemented by many partners

12,000 ha of employment lands 12,000+ businesses 350,000+ employed in area (Canada’s

largest employment area) 5.8 million MWh of electricity-use (1/26th

of Ontario’s consumption) 46.5 million GJ of natural gas use 108.5 million m3 of water consumption 1.7 million tonnes of GHGs

Targets: 20% energy reduction (2015) 10% of buildings green retrofit (2015) 10% renewable energy generation (2015) 15% per capita (2025) (Peel)

Case #2: Partners in Project Green – A Pearson Eco-business Zone

• One-Window Eco-Efficiency Audit (free assessment, cost-shared audit and implementation assistance)

• Green Building Retrofit (assistance on retrofitting multiple buildings)

• Waste Re-Utilization Network (facilitating waste exchange opportunities)

• Green Purchasing Blocks (multi-business procurement of green technologies)

• Airport District Energy System (undertaking feasibility assessment of district energy opportunities)

• Green Parking Lot Program (cost shared re-design of landscaped and parking areas)

• Green Job Development (Green Job Corp. & Green Business Retention Strategy)

Case #2 cont’d: Partners in Project Green – Programs and Projects

Lesson #1: IWM is effective and could be used elsewhere to achieve cooperative solutions. A few reasons why it’s effective: Inclusive, shared decision-making (vs. top down) Common vision and goals Implementers are involved Watershed is a manageable scale Integrated – more creative solutions Fosters shift toward demand management,

“stewardship ethic”, “culture of conservation” Fosters local champions

Implications for a Canadian National Water Strategy (CNWS)

Despite instances of local leadership, there is not always the capacity or full participation by all key players in all regions of Canada.

There is a need for a Canada-wide strategy that can facilitate effective leadership at all scales.

A CNWS could help clarify roles, address gaps in capacity and provide consistency among regions

A CNWS could ensure effective responses to current and emerging challenges and threats common across Canada.

Lesson #2: Principles of IWM could be followed in the development of an effective CNWS

Participation by all stakeholders Commonly endorsed goals and principles Specific commitments to action on key areas Able to evolve and adapt Mechanism to track implementation progress Builds on existing governance structures

Proposed Process for Development of a CNWS

Leadership Team

Formation

Discussion Paper

Consensus Building Workshop

sStrategy

Development

Sectoral Representation in Leadership Team

International Federal Aboriginal Provincial Local government Water users Water related NGOs

Summary – 3 Lessons

1. The IWM approach has the potential to be used elsewhere for achieving cooperative solutions to water management issues

2. A CNWS could facilitate the practice of local integrated watershed management (IWM) in Canada; Principles of IWM could be used in the process to develop an effective CNWS.

3. Although Canada is not the first country to develop a national water strategy, a CNWS and the process followed to develop it can be a model for cooperation in other diverse regions.

www.cwra.org

Sonya Meek

CWRA National President

smeek@trca.on.ca