Prairie Water Partnerships in Governance

1. Prairie Water Partnerships in Governance Prairie Water Policy Symposium International Institute for Sustainable Development September 2005, Winnipeg, Manitoba P.E. Adkins, P.Eng. A/Director, Ag Water Directorate, AAFC-PFRA

2. Outline • What is Water Governance • How Does it work in Canada • Water Governance on the Prairies • Future of Partnerships in Governance • Integrated Water Resource Management • Gaps in Governance

3. Governance: Definitions • Governance is: • The “act, manner, function, or power of government” (Webster’s) • Governance is the process of “governing”: • “to exercise authority over; rule, administer, direct, control, manage, etc.” • formalizes “the maintenance of public order and the promotion of the common welfare,” and, “orderly management” • “embraces the relationship between society and its government” • “encompasses laws, regulations, institutions, policies, programs, actions, & networks of influence”

5. Water Consumption in Canada 1996 - Consumed (Translation) -Returned

6. Water is Unique from a Governance Perspective… • Freshwater is a unique environmental resource • It is essential for: • Society’s survival and well-being • Economic Development • Environmental health and sustainability • Water knows no boundaries, be they political or jurisdictional boundaries • Water is a cross-cutting resource that cannot be neglected by any aspect of society • Watershed is a critical planning unit to protect the environment and support development

7. The Canadian Model:How we Govern our Water • Water is a public good • Provinces have constitutional authority over natural resources including water: -Water rights allocation -Rights are not privately held -Tradeable only in Alberta -Flow regulation -Development regulation -Pollution control • Prairie provinces have each developed a “water strategy” – an important element

8. The Canadian Model:How we Governs our Water • Federal regulatory role in: • Inter-provincial and international waters • Water on Federal Crown land • Fishery and fish habitat in all Canadian waters • Navigable waters • Federal intervention in other areas is possible in the interest of “good governance” • Federal Water Policy - 1987

9. Federal Institutions with Water Resource Responsibilities: 5NR: Five Natural Resource departments: • Environment (environment and trans-boundary flow) • Health (public health) • Natural Resources (ground water) • Agriculture and Agri-Food (protection & rural water) • Fisheries and Oceans (inland and ocean fisheries) • Other federal agencies: • Indian and Northern Affairs (First Nations water) • Transport Canada (navigation) • Foreign Affairs (trade & export) • Canadian Food Inspection Agency (bottled water) • Parks Canada is responsible for ecological integrity and water and wastewater systems in national parks • Plus 12 others!!!

10. Agriculture & Agri-Food Canada • Agriculture Policy Framework • Water, air, land, biodiversity • Water Strategy under development • National Water Supply Expansion Program (NWSEP) • Water development and studies

11. Provincial Institutions with Water Resource Responsibilities: • Natural resource departments: • Environment • Health • Natural Resources • Watershed Authority/ Drinking Water or Water Services/Corporations • Agriculture • Other departments and crown corporations

12. Other Institutions with Water Resource Responsibilities: • Municipalities (water, wastewater, environment) • Health Districts (heath inspectors and water/wastewater safety) • First Nations (water, wastewater, environment) • Environmental agencies: • Watershed groups (stakeholder interests and environment) • Conservation Authorities • Other agencies and industry groups • Agricultural groups (specialty focus: e.g. irrigators, cattle, dairy, field crop, etc. ) • Industry and Industry-supported groups (water and wastewater discharge) • Non-government organizations • Greenpeace, Sierra Club, etc. • Private landowners: • private water and wastewater supplies • All Citizens have personal responsibilities to safeguard and protect the environment (water, land and air) from contamination

13. Water on the Prairies…Context of Governance • Semi-arid agricultural areas are the most populated • Lack of precipitation drives irrigated agriculture (60% of Canadian total in Alberta)

14. Water on the Prairies…Context of Governance • Driven by dry climate and the rather complex institutional arrangements, governance of water on the prairies is characterized by partnerships!

15. Examples of Water Governance on the Prairies… • IJC – Canada/US Boundary Waters Treaty 1909 • Environment Canada lead • International Red River Board • Non-profit Organizations – Red River Basin Commission • AAFC - PFRA partnership with the prairie provinces since 1935 • Technical and financial support to water development, and regulatory/management efforts, including specific Programs • Prairie Provinces Water Board (PPWB) since 1948

16. Prairie Provinces Water Board Initial Mandate • Address emerging challenges of inter-jurisdictional water management • Focussed on “highest and best economic use” • With increasing demands on the resource, approach became problematic • Change required…

17. Prairie Provinces Water Board • Master Agreement on Apportionment (MAA) 1969 • “equitable sharing of available Prairie water resources” • Flexible agreement to help address new challenges over time eg. -Natural flow determination for apportionment -Drainage issues -Groundwater -Water quality

19. Prairie Provinces Water Board • Membership: Senior officials from Environment Canada, Water agencies in each of three provinces, AAFC-PFRA • PFRA coordinating role 1948 to 1973 • EC lead administrative and funding role since 1973; provides chair person and executive director

20. Prairie Provinces Water Board • Responsibilities: • Ensure equitable apportionment, and protection, of inter-provincial waters in accordance with MAA • Forum to exchange information to prevent and resolve conflicts • Promote cooperation in inter-provincial water management

21. Prairie Provinces Water Board • Committees: • on Hydrology (COH) • on Water Quality (COWQ) • on Groundwater (COG) Roles – to support operations

22. Future of Prairie Water Partnerships in Governance… MUST CONSIDER: • Increasing climate variability and climate change • In-stream ecological water needs • Water demand management / conservation • Increasing potential for conflict over water use / competing uses • Increasing importance of water quality • Expanding role for PPWB? • More complete adoption of the principles of Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM) as a governance tool …

23. Fact Sheets/Media Demos/Workshops Scientific Papers Issues/opportunities Concepts Products/Processes Demos/Workshops What is IWRM? “A process that promotes the coordinated development and management of water, land and related resources in order to maximize the resultant economic and social welfare in an equitable manner without compromising the sustainability of vital ecosystems.” Global Water Partnership

24. Integrated Water Resource Management - IWRM • “a process that promotes the coordinated development and management of water, land, and related resources in order to maximize the resultant economic and social welfare in an equitable manner without compromising the sustainability of vital ecosystems” (GWP TEC Paper 4, 2000)

25. Integrated Water Resource Management - IWRM • More simply put: • the preferred approach to managing land and water resources in balance with human, industrial, agricultural and environmental needs

26. IWRM • Federal leadership role for EC • IWRM is an internationally accepted process for management of the earth’s water resources • Canada has international commitments to implement – World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD)

27. Institutional Gaps in Prairie Water Governance • Agriculture and Water agencies are often not at the table together • Need a new Federal Water Policy • Stronger Federal leadership / facilitation / support (eg. IWRM) • More united approach to water from Federal departments

28. QUESTIONS?