Implementing Integrated Water Resources Management: The Importance of Cross-Scale Considerations and Local Conditions in Ontario and Nova Scotia

Abstract

Integrated water resources management (IWRM) is advocated by international and expert communities as the most viable approach to achieving sustainable freshwater management. Watersheds are often viewed as the preferred management units. There is increasing recognition, however, that socio-political and watershed boundaries do not coincide, and where they are used for management purposes, these boundaries are constructed through processes of political contestation. Key informants from various agencies and sectors associated with water resources management in Ontario (where watershed-based management has been in place for decades), Nova Scotia (currently developing a comprehensive water resources management strategy), and the Government of Canada were interviewed: to explore the links between IWRM and watershed management; barriers to IWRM; elements essential for IWRM to work effectively; the appropriate scale of watershed management units; and the degree of cross-scale interactions between agencies and stakeholders. Four main themes emerged around capacity, coordination and participation, scale of implementation, and education. To achieve IWRM, particular attention must be paid to existing local circumstances and resources, situated within formalized provincial and national frameworks.Resumé : La gestion intégrée des ressources hydriques (GIRH) est préconisée par les communautés internationaux et expertes comme étant l'approche la plus viable pour atteindre la gestion soutenable de l'eau douce. Les bassins hydrographiques sont fréquemment considérés comme les unités de gestion favorisées. Mais il y a une augmentation de reconnaissance que les frontières sociopolitiques et hydrographiques ne coïncident pas, et là où employées pour la gestion, les frontières hydrographiques sont construites à travers des processus de contestation politique. Des informateurs principaux de divers agences et secteurs associés avec la gestion des ressources hydriques en Ontario (où la gestion basée sur les bassins hydrographiques est en place depuis des décennies), la Nouvelle-Écosse (développe actuellement une stratégie compréhensive pour la gestion des ressources hydriques), et le gouvernement du Canada ont été interviewés pour obtenir une compréhension : des liens entre la GIRH et la gestion des bassins hydrographiques; les obstacles à la GIRH, les éléments essentiels pour le fonctionnement efficace de la GIRH, l'échelle convenable pour la gestion par bassin hydrographique; et l'étendue des interactions entre les agences et les parties prenantes. Quatre thèmes principaux ont fait surface sur la capacité, la

Probing the integration of land use and watershed planning in a shifting governance regime

“…[7] The limitations of conventional top-down approaches to solving problems of water quality and quantity are now widely acknowledged [e.g., Ramin, 2004;Cervoni et al, 2008;Ferreyra et al, 2008;Saravanan et al, 2009]. As a result, there is a widespread trend in water resources management toward increasingly integrated management systems [Ivey et al, 2002;Slocombe and Hanna, 2007;McDonnell, 2008].…”

“…Also important is work that emphasizes the need for methodological guidance regarding how organizations can adopt and implement principles of integration [Bellamy and Johnson, 2000;Hooper et al, 1999;Galaz, 2007] and how financial and other obstacles that hinder implementation of IWRM can be addressed [e.g., Cervoni et al, 2008;Saravanan et al, 2009]. Findings from this kind of research are especially relevant in the context of this paper, which explores the connections that exist between land use planning and efforts to protect the sources of drinking water that serve municipal systems.…”

Les associations de bassin versant du littoral acadien : un modèle d’acteurs valorisant les approches écosystémiques et d’économie sociale

“…Depuis un certain nombre d'années, il y a une reconnaissance généralisée du bassin versant comme unité territoriale privilégiée pour une gestion efficace de l'eau (Cervoni, Biro et Beazley, 2008). L'objectif est d'atteindre un développement durable du territoire, et ce, pour toutes les activités économiques comme l'agriculture ou la forêt, pour ne nommer que ces deux secteurs (Prévil, St-Onge et Waaub, 2004).…”

Socio-Psychological Perspectives on the Potential for Serious Games to Promote Transcendental Values in IWRM Decision-Making

“…Barriers to IWRM implementation are often related to inefficient governance structures, lack of scientific and predictive knowledge, lack of engagement or cooperative action between stakeholders, and the limited capacity of IWRM management organizations [11,12]. Other difficulties in implementing IWRM are due to the complexity of coordinating socio-political boundaries with natural resource management that involve multiple temporal and spatial scales [13]. Scholars (across many disciplines) are exploring ways to address these challenges in order to achieve the fairness and sustainability of freshwater resources.…”