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By on July 03rd, 2012

You’re Invited: Forestry Adaptation Community of Practice webinar, July 10

You are invited to join the next Forestry Adaptation Community of Practice (FACoP) webinar:

Tuesday, July 10th 2012 from 1-2 pm EDT, Catherine Ste-Marie, Research Coordinator and Senior Science Advisor on Climate Change for the Canadian Forest Service, will be giving a webinar on “Assisted Tree Migration and its Potential Role in Adapting Sustainable Forest Management to Climate Change”.  This presentation will: provide an overview of assisted tree migration, describe many of the potential opportunities and risks of this strategy, and outline current thinking on responsible implementation of assisted migration of tree species.

Joining the webinar is easy. Simply call 1-647-426-3315 or toll free 1-866-387-4893, dial participant code 920492 and log in (as a guest) at http://mirarco.acrobat.com/climatechange.

*If you plan to attend, RSVP to amorand@mirarco.org.

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By on June 27th, 2012

Women’s vulnerability to climate change transitioning to adaptability

If I told you that women in developing countries are more vulnerable to climate change, I expect you would consider that common sense. When women have limited rights and agency, as is often the case, they are likely to bear more of the brunt of worsening conditions.

But new research suggests that although women are vulnerable to a changing climate, they have the potential to be critically strategic actors in adaptation. This is largely due to their connection to the land: women’s activities often bring them in direct contact with their surrounding environment, meaning that they have skills in knowledge acquisition and dissemination of ecosystem functions.

One example is the different use of trees by women and men. Men often view trees as timber and thus do not consider biodiversity as an important aspect of their natural resource use. Conversely, women make use of trees for multiple domestic ends such as fuel, fodder and shade. A more bio-diverse forest is better in the eyes of a woman looking to clothe, feed and shelter her family. As many stability-diversity studies have shown, a forest with a variety of species also happens to be better for adapting to a changing climate.

Another example arises in livestock-keeping methods in the Sahel. In these harsh, semi-arid grasslands and savannas, women have increasingly taken on what were previously male-dominated roles as livestock herders. Their male counterparts have migrated to look for jobs or left their communities after divorce. The feminization of the role of livestock keeper is reflected in the composition of the herds; women have shifted towards herding smaller ruminants (goats and sheep) and away from climate-sensitive species such as cattle.

This understanding of, and relationship with, natural resources has the potential to make women well suited to lead adaptation efforts in their communities. Unfortunately, with limited roles as decision makers, women instead often have to resort to adaptation strategies such as migration to ensure the safety of their families. Perhaps one answer to promoting adaptation policies is to fund women and improve their status within their communities?

Is vulnerability a short-term challenge that could be ameliorated with the long-term goals of increasing adaptive capacity of impoverished communities through effecting positive change in gender dynamics? Researchers looking into these issues in Lake Faguibine, Mali argue that increasing workloads for women require increasing wages, political influence and access to markets.

“Societal and political change at broader scales is needed to realize potential benefits for women in the long term” (Djoudi and Brockhaus, 2011). And it is hoped that benefits to women will spread to their entire community and beyond.

Written by Claire Havens,
ACT Population Displacement researcher

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By on June 22nd, 2012

Deborah Harford to read at Artful Waters: Embracing new media for social change

Artful Waters: Embracing new media for social change

  • Monday, June 25, 2012
  • 7:30 – 10:00 pm
  • Heritage Hall, 3102 Main Street, Vancouver, BC

Join the Waterlution Vancouver Hub Season Finale. Beverages will be available for purchase and light snacks provided. Admission: donations at the door on a $0-$5 sliding scale, with all proceeds going directly to the artists. 

There are countless ways to deliver a message. Learn what Vancouver’s artist have to say about water in poetry, performance, photographs, video, illustrations and song!

With special contributions from: Theatre Terrific, Angelo Moroni, Ola Sokolowski, Jennifer Martin, Michelle Julea Lee, Deborah Harford, Sarah Van Borek, Jodi Stark, Peter Holmes

Hosted by Dana McDonald, Waterlution Hub Manager and Jodi Stark, Waterlution Hub Coordinator.

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By on June 22nd, 2012

TulipTV to broadcast seminar on Flood Management and Mitigation

On May 18th, 2012 the Consulate General of the Netherlands in Vancouver and Emergency Management BC organized a Dutch-Canadian seminar about flood management and mitigation. This seminar, organized at the UBC Boathouse along Richmond’s River Road was a great success with more than 90 participants. With partners DHV/Delcan and supported by the city of Richmond this seminar focused on an exchange of expertise.

Portions of the Flood Management and Mitigation Seminar will be broadcast on TulipTV on Shaw Multicultural Channel (no. 116) on Saturday, June 23 at 3.30PM and Sunday, June 24 at 6.30AM.

There are also some short videos of the seminar available here.

A panel of experts from the Netherlands and BC were invited to speak about their particular challenges, solutions and governance policies with regard to flood management. The seminar aimed at the exchange of Dutch and Canadian knowledge and expertise, to intensify cooperation between governments, knowledge institutions and the private sectors of both countries, and to stimulate the development of new solutions to current Flood Control issues.

More information as well as links to the presentations of the keynote speakers can be found online. The following video was produced by ABCO Film Corp.

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By on June 22nd, 2012

IRDR: call for Visiting Professorships for Senior International Scientists

The Integrated Research on Disaster Risk Programme (IRDR) (www.irdrinternational.org) is pleased to announce a call for applications for Visiting Professorships for Senior International Scientists for 2013, supported by the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS). Visiting Professorships for Senior International Scientists are open to international scientists with distinguished scholarly accomplishments and who have the same or similar research interests as IRDR. (PDF Application)

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By on June 19th, 2012

Navigating Our Water Future webcast

On June 18, POLIS hosted a public lecture with internationally renowned water experts Professor Lee Godden (University of Melbourne, Australia) and Professor Tim O’Riordon (University of East Anglia, UK). Their talks were followed by a discussion with Professor Rob de Loë (Research Chair Water Policy and Governance, University of Waterloo), moderated by Oliver M. Brandes (POLIS Project on Ecological Governance, University of Victoria). The webcast is available online at: http://poliswaterproject.org/story/466

Full information about the event can be found at: http://poliswaterproject.org/story/463

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By on June 15th, 2012

Climate Change Adaptation and Water Governance: Promising Research in the Time for Action

El agua es la vida! Water is life! This is the declaration of a water association in New Mexico, and as national and international reports project higher frequencies and more intense occurrences of drought and flooding, the statement rings ever more true. Researchers around the world are working to protect this precious resource, and regional, national, and international research on water governance associated with climate change impacts is a fast-growing focus for concerned experts and practitioners.

ACT’s Climate Change Adaptation and Water Governance report, released October 2011, is one of the many strong examples of current work guiding Canadians towards more resilient ways of managing water. The report recommends several polices geared towards reform of Canada’s badly fragmented water governance system; management approaches focused on adapting to, as opposed to coping with, climate change impacts; and a new water ethic for our nation to establish guiding principles for our future water governance.

As noted by the report’s author, Bob Sandford, co-chair of the Forum for Leadership on Water and Chair of the Canadian Partnership with the UN’s Water for Life Decade, the Northwest Territories has developed a strong, innovative strategy for watershed stewardship that could serve as a model for water policy improvements globally. The NWT Water Stewardship Strategy focuses on the keystone objective of maintaining “clean, abundant, and productive [waters in the territory] for all time.”

Crucial to reaching this objective are collaboration and integration of diverse expertise in decision-making. Further, the strategy incorporates flexible management and the precautionary principle to deal with an uncertain future.

These are just a few of the local projects that focus on adapting to the impacts climate change will have on our water resources. There are many other national and international projects to boot. However, strong policy doesn’t necessarily translate to good management, and poor implementation is a common critique of adaptation policies. Extreme weather events and climate change projections proved-true are increasingly common and are pushing us towards action. Though research should be a continuous effort and purposefully incorporated into decision-making, the time for deliberate action and implementation is approaching – a sentiment that Canadians across the country echo in the recently released Cross-Canada Checkup, which tracks Sandford’s journey across Canada talking to Canadians in 16 cities, following release of the ACT Water report.

With great policy research and other adaptation resources at our disposal, we in Canada, and BC specifically, find ourselves in a strategic position to be a leading force in the implementation of pioneering water governance. Recent and upcoming water issues will provide us a chance to improve the system:

  • British Columbia’s Water Act Modernization has been an extensive and collaborative process and is steps away from legislation, giving the Province a chance to stamp out obsolete, counterproductive water policy and incorporate a new standard for regional resource management;
  • The 60-year Columbia River Treaty of 1964 will be up for the first review with option to terminate in 2014, providing British Columbia an opportunity to assess the impacts the treaty has had on the watershed and the communities within it, and to improve transboundary governance;
  • According to the Cross-Canada Checkup , “the NWT Water Stewardship Strategy galvanized public opinion around recognition of the need for a national water strategy….” Provinces across Canada have the chance to work together to improve regional governance that speaks to a national goal.

These opportunities, along with progressive research, a collaborative attitude, and the urgency of a changing climate, provide us the chance to make positive changes. By strategically turning research into action we can forever improve the way we think about and manage this resource, which we so greatly depend on.

Lauren Klose
Masters Candidate, SCARP UBC
SFU ACT Research Assistant, Climate Change Adaptation and Water Governance

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By on June 14th, 2012

Climate Change Adaptation: A Priorities Plan for Canada

The Climate Change Adaptation Project: Canada (CCAP) was designed to identify and operationalize practical, meaningful and cost-effective adaptation solutions to the most challenging impacts of climate change facing Canada.

They have released the Climate Change Adaptation: A Priorities Plan for Canada report, which is available online in full.

There have been initiatives in Canada that profile the long-term, broad impacts of climate change and the need to embrace adaptation. But there has not been an initiative at the national level to identify a short list of priority areas of climate change challenges and solutions that Canada must address immediately. The CCAP is designed to address this policy gap by not only identifying urgent adaptation solutions, but also turning these solutions into action.

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By on June 14th, 2012

Reality Check: The State of Climate Progress in Canada

The National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy (NRT) is pleased to present Reality Check: The State of Climate Progress in Canada. This report was undertaken at the request of the federal Minister of the Environment to inform the government’s regulatory approach to reducing emissions.

This report concludes that despite making progress in reducing greenhouse gas emissions, Canada is not on track to achieve the federal government’s 2020 reduction target of 17% below 2005 levels. Canada will not achieve its target unless significant new, additional measures are taken.  More will have to be done. No other conclusion is possible.

Combining all existing and proposed federal, provincial and territorial climate policies and actions would lead to a reduction of 104 Mt CO2e in 2020, which represents almost 50% of the required emission reductions to meet Canada’s  target of 607 Mt CO2e in 2020 – but an emissions gap of 117 Mt CO2e remains. While the target is not yet out of reach, the cost of additional policies to close the gap will be higher on average than policies pursued to date.

This report serves as a reality check on the state of climate progress in Canada today. It reinforces some key truths about climate policy in Canada: that a national target needs a concerted national policy behind it, that policy uncertainty still exists and stifles progress, that the country has yet to implement effective policies to address some large sources of emissions, and that all this means progress has been and will remain difficult and uneven across the country.

Reality Check recommends that advances in future Canadian climate policy meet three tests: that they are collaborative, coherent, and considered – a 3C approach.  Collaborative across governments by meeting regularly and specifically on climate policy; Coherent by acting together in a coordinated way to reinforce each other’s policies and determine who is best positioned to act in one area over another; and Considered by undertaking regular progress reports and assessments of how well Canada is meeting targets and forecasting to help consider future actions.

Our analysis could not be clearer: Canada cannot cherry-pick its way to 2020. This will require a more engaged and integrated climate change policy approach at the pan-Canadian level than what we have seen to date.

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By on June 13th, 2012

Facing the Challenge: Mapping Floodplains

In a recent post, UCLA Professor Matthew E. Kahn discusses the release of a series of flood maps in Norfolk, VA. The maps, which can be found in the flood awareness section of the City’s website, are intended to provide citizens with information about how projected flooding will impact them. The site even includes a program called Is My Home in a Flood Zone?, through which residents can input their home address and learn about the flood risk they face.

Kahn suggests, “Such information is a necessary step to help households and firms adapt to the “new normal.” This is a hopeful step forward in the way citizens and governments are handling our changing climate. Kahn alludes to the sensitive legal matter of evacuation and relocation once it is clear the new floodplain will be uninhabitable. Sensitive or not, it is an issue that will have to be dealt with, and education is an important first step.

According to the Coastal Cities at Risk (CCaR) project, for which ACT is leading the Metro Vancouver research node, Vancouver is the Canadian city most at risk to the impacts of sea-level rise and related climate change threats: “[The City] is rated 16th for exposed assets, with USD $55 billion at risk, and 32nd in terms of population at risk, with 320,000 people exposed.”

Currently the BC Ministry of Environment has designated floodplain maps available on the government website for emergency preparedness and broad-based floodplain management as well as information pertaining to climate adaptation and sea-level rise in BC. UBC’s Collaborative for Advanced Landscape Planning (CALP) has produced visualizations of coastal inundation for the Corporation of Delta, BC that offer examples of adaptive responses.

In Kahn’s final notes about Norfolk’s efforts to face the challenge of flood projections, he reminds us that maps will need to be continuously updated to illustrate the most recent and accurate data. We no longer live in a world where water flows within a predictable cycle.

Sea level rise is no exception, as noted in a recent ACT blog post about the increasingly rapid melting of Antarctica’s ice sheets. As the time lags of climate change catch up to us we will need to be prepared to deal with problems far outside the parameters of “normal” that we are used to.

Written by Lauren Klose, ACT Intern

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By on June 12th, 2012

Join Thomas White for “Recent Progress Implementing B.C.’s Adaptation Strategy”

Another great webinar from The Climate Change Adaptation Community of Practice (CoP)

On Tuesday June 26, 2012 from 1-2 pm EDT, Thomas White, Manager of Science and Adaptation with the Climate Action Secretariat in the B.C. Ministry of Environment, will give a webinar on “Recent Progress Implementing B.C.’s Adaptation Strategy“.

Joining the webinar is easy! Simply call 1-647-426-3315 or toll free 1-866-387-4893, dial participant code 920492 and log in (as a guest) at http://mirarco.acrobat.com/climatechange.

If you plan to attend RSVP to amorand@mirarco.org

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By on June 07th, 2012

Coastal Cities at Risk (CCaR) launches new project website

ACT is a Canadian partner organization in the 5-year, “Coastal Cities at Risk (CCaR): Building Adaptive Capacity for Managing Climate Change in Coastal Megacities” program funded by the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) together with the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC), under the International Research Initiative on Adaptation to Climate Change (IRIACC).

The CCaR research program has gathered together teams from Bangkok, Lagos, Manila, and Vancouver – chosen for their range of climate-weather, socio-cultural-economic characteristics; representation of other cities; and enhanced research opportunities through ongoing efforts.

The project takes an interdisciplinary approach involving natural, engineering, socio-political-economic and health scientists to build upon and partner with leading programs and international projects.

Ongoing information about the project can be found on the new CCaR website: coastalcitiesatrisk.org.

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By on June 07th, 2012

“Telling the Weather Story” report from Insurance Bureau of Canada authored by Dr. Gordon McBean

A major report titled Telling the Weather Story: Can Canada Manage the Storms Ahead? Has been released by the Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC).

The report was prepared by Gordon McBean (author of ACT’s Extreme Weather Events Report), Paul Kovacs, Jim Bruce, Dan Sandink; and the Institute for Catastrophic Loss Reduction (ICLR) team building on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the scientific literature and ICLR reports.

The report was presented on Monday June 4, 2012 to the Empire Club in Toronto. Find more information including a news clip at: http://www.ibc.ca/en/Natural_Disasters/Weather_Story.asp

For years, IBC has played a leadership role in conducting research and developing sound strategies to help Canadians protect themselves [e.g., the Dry House interactive display and iPad app]. Because sound research into severe weather trends is critical, IBC commissioned Dr. Gordon McBean – one of Canada’s foremost climatologists – to research climate trends in Canada. The goal of the research is to understand the role of severe weather in the increasing damages to personal and commercial properties.

This research will help IBC work with Canadians to manage the stormy weather ahead.

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By on June 05th, 2012

Navigating our Water Future: Lessons from Australia and Europe

SAVE THE DATE!

A Public Lecture & Discussion Hosted by the POLIS Project on Ecological Governance at the Centre for Global Studies, University of Victoria

WHEN: Monday June 18th, 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
WHERE: University of Victoria, Hickman Building, Room 105

You are invited to a public lecture by internationally renowned water experts Professor Lee Godden (University of Melbourne) and Professor Tim O’Riordon (University of East Anglia). The discussion will focus on water as the main challenge facing Canada in the 21st century, drawing on trends, issues, and successful approaches that have been taken in both Australia and Europe.

For many years, Australia and Europe have faced serious problems with the management and governance of their water resources—from the effects of severe drought, to the challenges of jurisdictional fragmentation, unclear responsibilities, and disconnected governance. These challenges offer a glimpse into Canada’s water future.

Australians and Europeans are tackling these problems with a variety of innovative approaches that can offer Canadians important direction as we contemplate our challenges ahead. Professors Godden and O’Riordan will offer lessons from their home regions. Their talks will be followed by a focused discussion with Professor Rob de Loë (Research Chair Water Policy and Governance, University of Waterloo) on how these lessons can be applied in the Canadian context, moderated by the University of Victoria’s Oliver M. Brandes of the POLIS Project on Ecological Governance.

This event is being hosted by the POLIS Project on Ecological Governance in partnership with the British Columbia Branch of the Canadian Water Resources Association (BC-CWRA), BC Water & Waste Association, Partnership for Water Sustainability in BC, University of Victoria’s Environmental Law Centre, and Water Canada Magazine.

For more information please visit http://poliswaterproject.org/story/463 or contact Laura Brandes at communications@polisproject.org or 250-721-8189.

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By on June 03rd, 2012

BlackOutSpeakOut

Our land, water and climate are all threatened by the latest federal budget. Proposed changes in the budget bill will weaken environmental laws and silence the voices of those who seek to defend them. Silence is not an option. Speak out today in defence of two core Canadian values: Nature and Democracy.

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By on May 29th, 2012

Science-based Management of Alberta’s Rivers Necessary to Prevent Water Shortages and Pollution

Edmonton, Alberta — In Alberta, we rely our rivers for recreational opportunities, like fishing and canoeing, and for clean, safe water supplies for our drinking water and economic development. Water Matters has released a detailed blueprint about how to use science-based management to ensure that Alberta’s rivers remain healthy, and economically and culturally beneficial over the long term. The first of three reports about water management in Alberta, Maintaining Healthy Aquatic Ecosystems by Protecting Instream Flow Needs provides clear, achievable recommendations for improving river and watershed management in Alberta.

River health in much of Alberta has been declining because of land-use changes, dam construction, and surface and groundwater withdrawals. “In most cases, decisions are made on a piece-meal, project-by-project basis, and without any consideration of cumulative effects of regional human activities, or the serious threat that climate change poses to Alberta’s water supplies,” says Dr. Bill Donahue, Director of Science and Policy for Water Matters, an Alberta-based water policy think tank.  “The result is that many of our rivers have been dying a slow death by a thousand cuts, and we remain unprepared for significant future droughts.”

In 2003, Alberta adopted its Water for Life Strategy, which includes clearly defined goals to maintain safe, secure drinking water for Albertans, healthy aquatic ecosystems, and reliable, high-quality water supplies for a sustainable economy. All three goals encompass a public interest in sustainable, healthy water supplies and aquatic ecosystems. Unfortunately, decision-making in Alberta tends to prioritize short-term economic considerations over environmental sustainability. Our laws and regulations also tend to water down environmental assessment and protection, increasing the likelihood of failing to achieving the Water for Life goals. “The degree to which we protect and preserve river health will determine our success in achieving the goals of the Water for Life Strategy,” says Julia Ko, Project Coordinator for Water Matters and report co-author.

In Maintaining Healthy Aquatic Ecosystems, Water Matters illustrates how Albertans can achieve the goals laid out in the Water for Life Strategy. The first recommendation is to adopt a science-based framework for decision making that prioritizes the maintenance of river health in watershed planning. Other recommendations include amending the Water Act to clearly define science-based water conservation objectives, as well as allowing unused water allocations to remain in rivers to maintain environmental health.

Maintaining Healthy Aquatic Ecosystems by Protecting Instream Flow Needs is part of an innovative project to engage stakeholders in discussions that explore the policy and operational opportunities for improving water management in Alberta. The goal is to find ways to shift to science-based management of the use, allocation, and conservation of water in ways that sustain and ensure a healthy environment now and in the future, while also supporting our social and economic goals.

Download Sharing our Rivers: How Albertans can Maintain Healthy Rivers, Communities, and Economies (PDF)

MEDIA CONTACT:

Dr. Bill Donahue
Director of Policy and Science
780-463-3971
780-566-4680 (cell)
bill@water-matters.org

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