Lessons from Local Integrated Watershed Management Sonya Meek CWRA National President Global Issues Project – Water Issues Roundtable Canadian 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 (1/26 th of Ontario’s consumption) 46.5 million GJ of natural gas use 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 Workshops Strategy 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.

Sonya Meek CWRA National President