Launching the Climate+Water Symposium: Exploring Water Justice through a Changing Climate

Speaker 1: Dr. Craig Nichol – Physical Hydrogeology and Ecosystem Resilience

Dr. Craig Nichol, an expert in earth sciences, kicked off the plenary by discussing the importance of understanding groundwater and its interconnectedness with surface water in sustaining healthy ecosystems. He emphasized that surface water is essentially “spilled” groundwater, making the two inseparable in ecosystem dynamics. With climate change posing new challenges to water resources, Dr. Nichol stressed the need for a resilient ecosystem that can adapt to fluctuations in water availability. He discussed the critical role of groundwater inflow, particularly in regions like the Okanagan Valley, where managing water interactions is paramount. One of the research opportunities he highlighted was studying the effects of pumping groundwater and its impact on surface water levels. Dr. Nichol also mentioned the involvement of the Okanagan Basin Water Board and the Water Stewardship Council in advising on the management of groundwater and surface water interactions. These organizations are key players in addressing the complex challenges of water management in the region. He concluded by pointing out the necessity of better engagement with both technical experts and the public, emphasizing how public engagement can drive better water stewardship practices and inform new water management strategies.

Speaker 2: Dr. Kirsten Hannam – Food Systems and Water Security

Dr. Kirsten Hannam, Adjunct Professor and Systems Agro-Ecologist at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, addressed the impact of climate change on food systems, specifically focusing on water security in agricultural production. She discussed how climate-related shocks, such as heat domes and droughts, disrupt food production in the Okanagan Valley. With irrigation being crucial for crop survival in this semi-arid region, efficient water management practices are increasingly important. Dr. Hannam highlighted the challenges farmers face in adapting to these changing conditions and stressed the need for effective irrigation techniques that use water efficiently. Furthermore, she discussed the role of agroecologists in helping agricultural producers manage water use while adapting to changing climate conditions. By promoting sustainable agricultural practices, Dr. Hannam emphasized how these changes could mitigate the long-term impacts of water scarcity on food security. The agricultural sector’s resilience to climate change is critical not only for local food production but also for the broader implications on global food supply chains. Dr. Hannam’s insights underscored the need for ongoing research into water-efficient farming practices and the development of agricultural systems that are both resilient to climate change and sustainable in the long term.

Speaker 3: Dr. Sheena Spencer – Research on Forest Management and Water

Dr. Sheena Spencer, a research hydrologist with the BC Ministry of Forests, Lands, and Natural Resource Operations, presented her work on forest management and its impact on water resources. She introduced the Upper Penticton Creek Watershed Experiment, which involves monitoring three watersheds to understand the effects of forest disturbance on water quality and availability. Dr. Spencer stressed the importance of long-term research to track changes over time, especially in relation to climate change. She explained that forest disturbances, such as wildfires and logging, significantly impact the hydrological cycles within watersheds, affecting both water quality and quantity. These disturbances can lead to lower water flows during the summer months, which could be exacerbated by climate change. Dr. Spencer’s research highlights the need for adaptive forest management strategies that take into account the changing dynamics of forest ecosystems and their direct impact on water resources. She also emphasized the role of forest regrowth in restoring water flows, but cautioned that these processes take time and may not be sufficient to address the rapid pace of climate change. Dr. Spencer concluded by urging for continued investment in long-term research that will provide the necessary data to make informed decisions about forest and water management in the face of a changing climate.

Speaker 4: Dr. Adam Wei – Climate Change and Forest Disturbance

Dr. Adam Wei, a professor in the Department of Earth, Environmental, and Geographic Sciences, discussed the cumulative effects of forest disturbance on water resources, focusing on the interplay between climate change and forest disturbances. He highlighted that both historical disturbances, such as past logging, and recent events like wildfires, contribute to the alteration of water flows within ecosystems. Dr. Wei noted that understanding the cumulative impact of these disturbances is critical for developing effective water management strategies. He stressed the importance of assessing not just the immediate effects of disturbances, but also their long-term consequences on water availability. The relationship between forest health, water availability, and fish populations was a key point in Dr. Wei’s discussion, as these elements are all interconnected in the larger ecosystem. He called for a more detailed assessment of how forest disturbance interacts with climate change to influence water resources. The long-term sustainability of water resources depends on understanding these complex dynamics and integrating forest health into water management practices. Dr. Wei concluded by advocating for more comprehensive research on forest disturbance and its implications for water systems, underscoring the urgency of addressing these challenges as climate change accelerates.

Speaker 5: Dr. Alessandro Ielpi – Geomorphology and Climate Change

Dr. Alessandro Ielpi, a geomorphologist, discussed the physical and ecological processes that shape landscapes, focusing on the impact of climate change on rivers, floodplains, and other geomorphological features. He emphasized how fire events and other disturbances affect the way rivers and floodplains respond to changes in water flow, soil erosion, and sediment deposition. Dr. Ielpi highlighted the temporal complexity of water stress impacts, noting that changes in landscapes due to climate change occur over long periods and can have delayed effects on water systems. He stressed the importance of considering these long-term landscape changes when making decisions about water management. Dr. Ielpi called for public education on the need to adapt water management practices to the realities of long-term landscape changes. By understanding the slow and sometimes imperceptible shifts in geomorphological features, decision-makers can better anticipate future water challenges. Dr. Ielpi’s insights pointed to the necessity of integrating geomorphological perspectives into water management strategies, particularly in areas vulnerable to climate change-induced disruptions.

Conclusion

The panel session provided a comprehensive overview of the challenges and opportunities in water management in the face of climate change. From groundwater inflow and agricultural water security to forest management and geomorphological processes, each speaker contributed valuable insights into how different factors interact to shape water availability and ecosystem resilience. The integration of long-term research, Indigenous knowledge, and adaptive management practices is essential for addressing the pressing issues of water scarcity, food security, and ecosystem health. As climate change accelerates, the need for effective communication, collaboration, and research becomes even more critical. The session concluded with a call to action for continued efforts in bridging the gap between research and practice, ensuring that communities and ecosystems can thrive in a changing climate.

Speaker One: Dr. John Janmaat - Economics, Philosophy and Political Science 

Dr. Janmaat opened the panel with reflections on what it means for an ecosystem to be ‘resilient’.  He began by inviting the audience to consider what a resilient ecosystem would look like, by providing the example of two side by side lakes - one which looks cloudy and the other that looks clear.  The ‘cloudy’ lake is eutrophic, meaning that there is a surplus of nutrients in the water resulting in dense plant life and limited animal life due to limited oxygen in the water column; the ‘clear’ lake is oligotrophic, meaning that there are fewer available nutrients and that oxygen is available throughout the water column for animals to thrive.  He argues that both of these systems are resilient - they have a certain amount of stability and seasonal mixing bring about changes in each.  However, with a changing climate, these seasonal changes are dramatically impacted. While ecosystems may have been able to previously adjust to human impacts, climate change makes this increasingly more challenging. “How does this relate to governance?  Well, we’ve got to make choices. Which lake do we want? And then we have to figure out what we are going to do in order to achieve the kind of ecosystems we want to live in… We’ve got to actively get involved in managing it.” Dr. Janmaat shared. He emphasized that in determining what we consider to be a 'resilient ecosystem' we are required to actively choose how we want systems to evolve, underscoring the need for intervention over passivity.  He linked this need for intervention to the economic dimensions of water governance, highlighting the need for incentive structures that align with long-term sustainability.  As an economist he highlighted the approach of "taking people as who they are" emphasizing that there is a need to develop policies and solutions that accept people as who they are in efforts to influence behaviour in the desired direction. 

Speaker Two: Rheanne Kroschinsky Community Engagement, Social Change, and Equity

As a PhD student with the Watershed Ecosystem Research Excellence Cluster, Ms. Kroschinsky shared insights from her graduate research on collaborative watershed governance and the value of integrating community-based knowledge.  She describes her research as fundamentally place-based and collaborative and provided the example of a transdisciplinary project that has brought together syilx communities and the District of Peachland to create a governance design for the Peachland Creek Watershed.  Through her role in this project,  Ms. Kroschinsky has engaged in relationship building, mapping watershed leadership with various interest groups, and coordinated the role of the university in academic extension within the project. She has explored the challenging questions surrounding what it means to design a co-governance model or framework for water-based decision making in a multi-use watershed. Complex water and watershed challenges have emerged as the local climate becomes drier and warmer, with resultant shifts in local pressures on the watershed. “For governance, this really manifests in felt impacts to source water supplies and the balance that has to be struck between the provision of source drinking water and a whole variety of other ecosystem services in the watershed. A changing climate adds an additional layer of uncertainty and stress to the cumulative impact of regulated and non-regulated activities in the watershed” Ms. Kroschinsky explains.  Small communities may lack the financial resources and capacity to plan for these potential pressures on the watershed, which in the case of Peachland, acts as the sole source of drinking water for the community.  She emphasized that, although a local case study, there are important lessons that are broadly applicable.  “It really is all about partnerships. We are in an era of managed watersheds. Resiliency is achieved through people, through coordinated decision making and collaboration.” There is no one-size-fits all solution for co-governance across all unique watersheds, and researchers have a role in contributing in a manner that is reflexive and responsive to societal needs.  This work has revealed to her how good governance is mutually beneficial and trust based, and has the sharing of knowledge with appropriate mechanisms to those who have the capacity to act on it.

Dr. Nelson Jatel - Earth, Environmental and Geographic Sciences, Freshwater Science

Adjunct Professor Nelson Jatel emphasized the importance of participatory approaches in developing water policy, drawing from his work on co-management and stakeholder engagement across BC. His work focuses on exploring how science, policy and social networks intersect to support more resilient and collaborative governance. He emphasized that central to this is the need to move beyond basic land acknowledgements, towards meaningful co-governance models with local Indigenous people in order to better support the future of watersheds.  Dr. Jatel noted that governance done poorly can fracture communities, but governance done well can bring them together.  With governance structures under pressure from climate change, ecological stress, and public distrust, good governance requires a strong support network, adaptation to local needs, Indigenous knowledge, and good science.  “What matters is not whether a governance structure is centralized or decentralized, but whether it builds trust, collaboration, and accountability” Dr. Jatel explained.  Social network science is a tool that can be used to help support good governance, through the process of mapping out who is connected and how, and determining how these connections can influence decision making, trust, and outcomes.  Through mapping five decades of collaborations in the Okanagan, there are several observable patterns. “When networks are strong, when trust exists, and when communications flow, we make better decisions - more inclusive, more adaptive, and more science informed.”  Science alone isn’t enough; both western and indigenous knowledge systems are critical and central to good governance.  However, both these systems of knowledge are currently under threat and Dr. Jatel addresses the need to confront challenges in current social and political discourse.  “When we pair good science with deep cultural knowledge, we don’t just prevent bad policy, we foster wise governance.”  He emphasized that governance is not about control but rather about connection.

Dr. Aleksandra Dulic (Creative Studies, Media Studies, Visual Arts) 

Professor Aleksandra Dulic brought her experience as an artist to this important conversation, illustrating how art and multimedia storytelling can communicate complex environmental challenges and inspire collective action.  Her first project that explored the connection of Climate+Water was in Delta BC (2007), exploring the relationship of flood response and climate change in the community. She arrived in the Okanagan in 2009 and has since been exploring her relationship to place, in particular through early collaborations with Dr. Jenneatte Armstrong and Dr. John Wagner which allowed her to explore different ways of being.  The notion that water is our relation, rather than a physical entity alone, has been a critical aspect of her connection to place.  She shared her perspectives on what art and culture have to do with climate change, first through the example of the local salmon ceremony which celebrated the return of salmon to the Okanagan.  The physical aspects of placing the fry in the streams, was accompanied by a celebration of place and fish through song and story.  This act of celebrating the return of the salmon as a community illustrates “how important it is to build those connections, those values together as a community”, says Dr. Dulic.  In our contemporary industrial world, she asserts that “we are all industrialized, and need to struggle to find those important connections and understanding about the values that drive our decisions.”  In recent years she has been focusing her work around values, meaning making and world views as an essential element of sharing multiple stories of water, climate and place.  She emphasized that art can be used to show complexity through the use of multivocal symbols, working together to tell complex stories and to build common ground.  “Beautiful images and beautiful stories can allow us to see much more difficult things.  We can make challenges palatable enough to gather together and maybe make better decisions for the future”.  She used a multimedia video imagining what Kelowna looked like prior to contact as an illustration of how art can show complexity and multiple stories working together, which can provide the basis for good decision making processes. 

Conclusion

The speakers pointed at ways forward for effective governance under the climate crisis. In describing the need for hope, Rheanne Kroschinksy said “these collaborative research partnerships really demonstrate that there is opportunity for research- centred community engaged initiatives to be impact driven, to be applicable and to be meaningful for communities as they face these very real realtime challenges surrounding water and climate”. Dr. Dulic similarly focussed on highlighting stories of successes, to motivate and energize collaboration. Effective governance is not one-size-fits-all, as Dr. Jatel noted “no single system works everywhere”. Dr. Janmaat emphasized the need to make choices, rather than passive observation.  It requires consideration of local needs and values, but with greater support, Indigenous sovereignty, learning from each other, and hope, collaborative governance can guide us forward in creating resilient water systems and communities. The session concluded with a call for deeper and more intentional collaboration across sectors to foster resilient, just, and creative responses to the water challenges ahead.