Read Loucks and Beek for a summary introduction to current thinking on planning for water resources management from two widely experienced academics and consultants who are particularly knowledgeable about the use of computer based modelling. They describe the types of water issues to be addressed around the world today and provide case examples. They outline the principles and practice of Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM), currently the most widely advocated approach to water management around the globe, and introduce some of the key concepts and terms we will be discussing during the course.
Read the report from the Gordon Water Group, a self-appointed group of concerned Canadian scientists and citizens, for a depiction of what they see as the crisis in water planning and management in Canada today. The second half of their report presents a series of specific recommendations for action addressed primarily at the Federal Government.
In reading these materials think about how they inform your responses to the questions listed below as starting points for our discussions today.
Loucks, D.P. and Beek, E.V. 2005. Water Resources Systems Planning and Management: An Introduction to Methods, Models and Applications. Paris: UNESCO Publishing
Foreword, Preface, Table of Contents and Introduction (pp. i-xx)
Water Resources Planning and Management: An Overview Chapter 2 (pp. 1-35)
The Gordon Water Group of Concerned Scientists and Citizens. 2007.Changing the Flow: A Blueprint for Federal Action on Freshwater. (Read i-23 and skim recommendations)
Canadian Water Attitudes Study 2009
Organization and topics for Parts II and III of the course (see Preparation for Presentations).
If you have not already done so you should read Getting To Yes before
the session on the Governance System (6 February). We will be drawing on the principles in
it throughout the course.
Class discussion (also see Statement on Class
Participation): A major objective of this class is for you to improve
your communication skills. I want to help each of you to improve your skills
and to be full participants in the class discussion every time we meet.
I would be pleased to discuss with you individually any difficulties you
might be having in doing this. Also I would welcome any suggestions you
might have for what I might do to be more helpful in this regard. Two weeks
today we will discuss the process and method for agreeing on the class
participation portion of the grade.
How do the water resources issues identified by Loucks and Beek compare and contrast with those we face in Canada as identified by The Gordon Water Group?
From a global perspective, what issues would you add to those the two publications identify?
In what ways are "Sustainable Water Management" (Gordon, p. v) and "Integrated Water Resources Management (Loucks and Beek, p.25), the same and different?
What is "planning"? What is "management"?
What about "governance" and "politics"?
Review Preparation for Next Class Wednesday 23rd January