WC131 JulyAugust 2023 - Magazine - Page 13
Waterfall: ch , Georgia Beach: NAI
ter flows in Canadian rivers, yet it’s not being managed in a way
that serves our citizens or nature. Fragmentation of responsibility
and decision-making within watersheds removes the ability to
properly manage these huge resources, let alone allowing space
for progressive NBS.
Consider Gibsons, British Columbia. A recent NAI report on
natural infrastructure in B.C. provided a case study of the Town,
which has pioneered natural asset management as a core element
of its infrastructure systems strategy—but they are now at a
crossroads. As the report states:
“The Province of B.C. has several Ministries with responsibilities for the Aquifer, each with a different mandate. There is
no plan to ensure the sustainability of the ecosystem in which
the Town of Gibsons is located, notwithstanding the increased
urgency created by climate change. Combined, this means
there is little the Town can do about, for example, activities in
the aquifer recharge area.”
Top to bottom:
Smokey Hollow
Waterfall, a stunning
showcase of Grindstone
Creek’s journey as
it wends its way to
Lake Ontario. Without
oversight or policy
drivers to ensure
regions connected
by water are taking
care of their natural
infrastructure, water
sources are at risk.
The Gibsons Aquifer is the town’s sole source of drinking water, but it extends beyond their own boundary. Without oversight
or policy drivers to ensure regions connected by water are taking
care of their natural infrastructure, the aquifer is at risk. B.C.’s
WAT E R C A N A D A . N E T
WATER C AN ADA • JULY/AUGUS T 2023
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