What was this Forum all about?
Purpose
Build awareness about critical water and climate issues, along with potential solutions
Broaden a positive ongoing community and regional discussion
Empower actions by focusing on opportunities (personal, economic, organizational)
Why was this Forum so important?
We were very short of water last year
The City of Nelson relies on snowpack and rainfall to replenish its reservoir that only has a few days water supply. There were water restrictions for 4 months last
year.
Rural water systems were issued a Low Water Advisory and Water Conservation Request by the province in August, 2015. Some rural residents had to adjust water storage, use secondary sources, or were without water at times during the summer.
Changes are coming down the pipe
There are no coordinated conservation measures in place for the hundreds of small water systems in the West Kootenays.
The new BC Water Sustainability Act needs to be understood as it can provide guidance and support to communities and decision-makers alike.
Residents and business need to understand the relevance of new metered water systems:
City of Nelson will continue to implement a commercial water metering program in 2016
The Regional District of Central Kootenay is also taking a phased approach to water metering starting in 2016
Due to climate change, droughts
and fires are likely to continue
Less snow, higher temperatures,
fires and more precipitation in theform of storms are expected to be the norm
We won’t stop climate change and water shortages until we reduce our carbon emissions.
This requires all communities to
do their part to rapidly reduce
global emissions.
Together we can do something about this
When elected officials, local government staff and residents learn together
and make plans for sustainable water supplies and carbon emission reduction
we are more likely to decrease the disruptions of a climate-changed future.
This forum will allow time for dialogue to discuss the issues and solutions.
The Friday, April 22 forum is specifically for local government water
management experts and policy-makers to have an opportunity for deeper
discussion and collaborative planning.
The Saturday, April 23 forum is open and free to the public who register. It
will build awareness about critical water and climate issues and potential
solutions. It will include exhibits, displays and scheduled practical information
sessions.
Who Planned This Forum?
An ad hoc group of concerned citizens, including city and regional district, elected officials, non-government organizations, climate and hydrology experts and community engagement specialists, formed a planning team and sought community support to create the forums.
