Protecting aquatic ecosystems in heavily allocated river systems: the case of the Oldman River Basin, Alberta

Abstract

Initiatives aimed at protecting aquatic ecosystems often prove difficult to implement—particularly in water‐stressed, semi‐arid regions where the demand for water for human consumption is high. This article reports on an investigation of the factors that shaped the development and implementation of policies for aquatic ecosystem protection in the Oldman River Basin (ORB), a crucial watershed in semi‐arid southern Alberta. The analysis reveals critical cultural and historical considerations that confront those attempting to protect and restore aquatic ecosystems in the ORB and highlights specific factors that influence implementation of measures to protect it. In addition to the most basic consideration—demand for water exceeds supplies—eight specific factors that influenced aquatic ecosystem protection in this region are identified and evaluated. These include (1) clarity of actors’ roles/ jurisdictional responsibilities; (2) communication; (3) definition of key terms; (4) funding and organizational capacity; (5) leadership; (6) legal standing; (7) data and monitoring; and (8) public education. We argue that while these factors are important, critical cultural and historical considerations that influence water policy in the province also must be addressed in any efforts to protect aquatic ecosystems in southern Alberta.

Prototype of Greenhouse Effect for Improving Problem-Solving Skills in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM)-Education for Sustainable Development (ESD): Literature Review, Bibliometric, and Experiment

“…Human life is not unrelated to air (Shearer & Kniel, 2021), It is a crucial necessity in life. However, in the present age characterized by rapid global advancements in urban construction (Poirier & De Loë, 2011;Rahmat & Mutolib, 2016;Ziva et al, 2021), industrialization, and transportation, the global scenario is transforming due to the consequential air pollution (Wang & Tassinary, 2019;Zulhijah et al, 2015). Over time, this pollution will erode the pristine state of the Earth (Torgerson et al, 2020;Winarno et al, 2020;Suhandi & Samsudin, 2019).…”