Water Sustainability

Sustainability is apparently a useful idea, and lots of people are talking about it.

I got this request through a mailing list:

We are holding a Public Forum on Water Issues. I have attached the list of water issues being considered at the follow up 'Expert Round Table on Water'. As this groups focus is on curriculum and education for the future I have two requests that I will need by Nov 5, 2008:

1. What is being taught around the topic of 'Water Sustainability' and how? Please look at the list of issues (see below) and send web links to documents, lesson plans, or any methodologies that are being taught around the world today, or that might be included in schools in the future [to ihtec AT 3web.com].
2. If you are near to Toronto, please come to a Public Forum on Fresh Water Problems: Emerging Threats and Priorities. 7.30pm - 9.30pm on Nov 7, 2008 at the George Ignatieff Theatre, Larkin Building, 135 Devonshire Place, University of Toronto.

Maude Barlow is a keynote speaker at the U of T forum, so I've got an idea that it's all about water as a human right, etc., but the list of issues they want to hear about by, uh, tomorrow, is pretty impressive.

Bottom Line: Water is a complicated topic. In over 900 posts, I've managed to cover many facets of this complexity, but there's always more to know -- and better ways to understand and integrate that knowledge.

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WATER GOVERNANCE

• Prioritize – first steps toward a national water strategy
  
• Conservation and soft path as tools for governance
  
• Economics – full valuation of water, capital cost recovery, non-market valuation
  
• Constitutional challenges, national and global – mandate of NAFTA and trade agreements
  
• Trans-boundary water
  
• Define federal and provincial strategy – separate governance, planned cooperation
  
• Integrated water resource management
  
• The issue of privatization; role of decentralization – developed countries; developing countries
  
• Relating water availability to regulations for buildings/new construction

WATER AND PEACE

• Methods for solving inequitable access; relief from corruption
  
• Learning from spiritual insights on water and humanity
  
• Aboriginal water rights – recognized or denied?
  
• Lessons from ancient societies, e.g. Sri Lanka, Sumeria, Ankor Wat
  
• sustainable water usage – provision for later generations
  
• need for a Canadian water ethic – what is our value framework?
  
• human right to water
  
• humanitarian assistance to regions suffering from droughts and floods

WATER AND SECURITY

• International experience, developed and developing countries
  
• Consequences of water-related conflict
  
• Climate change and security of supply of water
  
• Trust-building measures
  
• Canada’s role on the world water stage
  
• Long term planning/governance
  
• Global stability promotion though water and wastewater management

WATER ENERGY AND TECHNOLOGY

• Energy-water nexus
  
• Water demand for energy generation - nuclear power, gas or coal-fired plants
  
• Canadian oil sands operations – excessive water demand, water pollution
  
• Water strategy for industry
  
• Cooperative research, joint data collection; information dissemination
  
• Desalination – a solution or a new problem?
  
• Overuse of irrigation water – sourced from dams and groundwater
  
• Pro and con for various water technologies
  
• Best Available Water Technologies, and new innovations
  
• Inland Water Transport for energy conservation and economic development

WATER AND ECOLOGICAL GOVERNANCE

• Securing nature’s water needs
  
• Watershed management
  
• Risk management for adaptation to climate change
  
• Transboundary water resources
  
• Conservation strategies and law
  
• Protecting and restoring potable water
  
• River depletion, wetlands protection
  
• Flood and drought prevention through ecological management