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Prairie Water StrategiesA Synthesis of Strategic and Coordinated
Action at a Provincial and State Level
D. Swanson, B. Oborne, S. Barg and H. Venema
Purpose of the Study
• To identify innovations and challenges in strategic and coordinated action for water resources
A pathway to sustainable development cannot be charted in advance.
Rather, the pathway must be navigated through processes of learning and
adaptation.
Analysis Framework
Continuous process of …• leadership (the setting of goals and objectives)• planning (inter-departmental and watershed
level) • implementation of a mix of policy instruments• multi-level coordination and participation • monitoring of key water indicators learning
and adapting to new information
Research Methods
Alberta Saskatchewan Manitoba Interprovincial
North Dakota Minnesota International Boundary
Case Studies
(~20 pages)
Detailed Analysis (~70 pages)
Synthesis (~15 pages)
Commitment – to the sustainable management of water resources within a respective jurisdiction.
A single comprehensive water strategy document
Alberta’s Water for Life strategy
The Manitoba Water Strategy
Observation: Each jurisdiction has made a commitment
Prairie Provinces Water Board
Targeted strategy and agency mandates
A strategic mandate of a government partnership,
Safe Drinking Water Strategy
Sask Watershed Authority
Water Management Framework
SaskWater Corp
Focus – articulation of broad goals specific objectives
• Innovations– Alberta short-, medium- and long-term goals
and objectives (with a 10-year future horizon) – Saskatchewan attention to a Safe Drinking
Water Strategy which was given a five-year target completion time (by 2007).
• Gaps– Forward looking outlook that extends to next
generation
Strategic and Administrative Structure – how is government organized to formulate and deliver effective
water policy?
• Innovations– Alberta Water Council and Sask. Deputy
Minister Review Committee– Manitoba Water Stewardship – Saskatchewan Watershed Authority
• Gap – An assessment process to identify lessons
learned with regard to different governmental structures seen in the prairies
Watershed Partnerships
• Innovations– Watershed financing in MB via Water Stewardship
Fund and existing CD program– Alberta has a comprehensive watershed management
framework inviting any Albertan to participate (from local to regional)
– Saskatchewan has a substantial level of dedicated staff support and a systematic process for watershed planning.
• Gaps– only a limited number of watershed plans have
actually been completed within the prairie basin
Mix of Policy Instruments
• Innovations– Manitoba riparian tax credit.– Alberta’s Water Act now permits water allocation
rights holders to transfer their licences
• Gap– Of the over 140 policy instruments surveyed among
the four jurisdictions, we could find only two instances of an economic instrument being used for water resources management or stewardship.
Monitoring of Water Indicators
• Innovations– state-of-watershed reporting in the three leading
watersheds in Alberta– Saskatchewan flexible suite of province-wide
watershed indicators to support its stress-condition-response analysis framework
– SaskH2O.ca – Integrated reporting (Alberta’s Measuring Up;
Manitoba’s SD Report and 2005 Performance Report)– Manitoba’s Deerwood Association/WEBS program
and the Tobacco Creek Model Watershed• Gap
– Watershed level indicators
Concluding Remarks
• A water strategy process is no panacea• However, … is critical for adaptive
management and sustainability at local and provincial levels
Doing
LearningAdapting
Must be free and able to
interact
Trial and error process of ...
Rihani 2001
Doing
LearningAdapting
Must be free and able to
interact
Trial and error process of ...
Rihani 2001
Concluding remarks• Significant innovation seen throughout the
prairie water basin
• Gaps do exist signaling a need for:– time-bound and formal next generation commitments– Widespread watershed planning & management and
clear linkages with existing and new local, provincial, Aboriginal and federal initiatives
– Use of economic instruments– Systematically monitored state-of-watershed
indicators and forward-looking assessment to inform strategy and policy adaptations at local and provincial levels
THANK YOU
• Draft Synthesis paper and supporting case studies at http://www.iisd.org/natres/water/pwps_background.asp
• Detailed draft report and U.S. case studies to be posted soon.
Comments and Suggestions Please