Environmental Priority Issue - Water
Water for Life: Alberta’s Strategy for Sustainability

by Margaret Chandler

In November 2004, Alberta Ecotrust released its Maximizing Effectiveness report that detailed the environmental priorities identified by environmental leaders and experts across the province.   Not surprisingly, water quality and conservation were clearly documented as the priority issue for Albertans. This is reflected in the strategic direction of the provincial government and the number of significant collaborations and initiatives addressing water issues in communities across the province.

Water for Life: Alberta’s Strategy for Sustainability is the provincial government’s plan to develop a new water management approach and outline specific strategies and actions to address the province's water issues.

The Water For Life strategy is based on three key goals, or outcomes: 1) safe, secure drinking water supply; 2) healthy aquatic ecosystems; and 3) reliable, quality water supplies for a sustainable economy.

As part of the strategy, three types of partnerships have been established as follows:

1. The Alberta Water Council (AWC). This is a high-level, province-wide, multi-stakeholder initiative that is looking at the impact of Water for Life at a provincial level.
2. The Watershed Planning and Advisory Councils (WPACs) are made up of representatives from large river basin watersheds. WPAC members have several responsibilities including: a) state of the watershed reporting; b) implementation of best management practices; c) education and d) watershed management planning.
3. The Watershed Stewardship Groups (WSGs). These are smaller community-based groups that undertake projects within their local communities.

Above and beyond these three kinds of partnerships is the overarching partnership of the various provincial government departments that developed the Water for Life strategy. These departments are working collectively to ensure that the implementation of this multi-departmental initiative is carried out effectively.

The Alberta Environment Network (AEN) has a seat on the AWC. The AEN’s water caucus is coordinating the environmental community’s voice on this very important council. Under Water for Life the province is developing a wetlands policy and the AEN would like to ensure that this policy does a good job of protecting wetlands in both the White and Green areas of Alberta. Approximately 10 environmental groups now sit on the AEN’s water caucus. Two of them, the Bow Riverkeeper and the North Saskatchewan Watershed Alliance (NSWA) will be joining the Alberta Ecotrust partnership at our AGM on March 22.

In January of this year, the NSWA was named the WPAC for the North Saskatchewan River watershed. Sharon Willianen, Manager of the NSWA, stated that it is very important that the WPAC has sufficient resources and continues to build capacity to carry out its responsibilities under the Strategy.  Danielle Droitsch of the Bow Riverkeeper is new to Alberta but brings a wealth of expertise to her position and a pledge to protect the Bow River. Danielle is the co-chair of the AEN Water Caucus.

Welcome to both of them!