Date: March 8th, 2022
At this webinar, a panel of emerging researchers discuss their work on topics related to freshwater management and governance, including hydrologic changes on social and ecological systems, community-based monitoring, and Indigenous laws and ways of knowing.
Xander Huggins is a PhD candidate in the Department of Civil Engineering at the University of Victoria and at the Global Institute for Water Security at the University of Saskatchewan. He describes his work mapping international basins to understand the impact of hydrologic change on social and ecological systems, and outlines the 168 hotspot basins he has identified for global prioritization to achieve sustainable freshwater futures.
- Hotspots for social and ecological impacts from freshwater stress and storage loss
- Groundwater Science and Sustainability Research Group
Cheyenne Arnold-Cunningham is a Métis lawyer and legal researcher at the University of Victoria’s Indigenous Law Research Unit (ILRU). She presents on recent ILRU projects that have focused on articulating Indigenous water laws with different nations, and the overarching challenge of overcoming the colonial framework that largely guides land, water, and environmental issues today.
Ella Parker is a Master’s student at the University of Northern British Columbia (UNBC) and currently works for the Government of Yukon. She discusses her research on community-based water monitoring programs, which took place in conjunction with the collaborative education project “Koh-Learning in our Watersheds.” This project aims to connect students, communities, and waterways, and is co-led by UNBC and School District 91 in B.C.’s Nechako region.
Rachel Arsenault is an Indigenous Kwe (Ojibwe and Odawa) from Wiikwemkoong Unceded First Nation on Manitoulin Island in Ontario. She holds a Masters degree with a speciality in Indigenous Relations within global contexts. She discusses Indigenous relationships to water, Indigenous water laws, and the need for Indigenous water governance. She presents on how the First Nation water crisis has impacted communities in Ontario and the policies and legislation that are hindering efforts to resolve this crisis.
- Shifting the Framework of Canadian Water Governance through Indigenous Research Methods
- Including Indigenous Knowledge Systems in Environmental Assessments
- Water Insecurity in Ontario First Nations: An Exploratory Study on Past Interventions and the Critical Needs for Indigenous Water Governance
Rod Dobell, Professor Emeritus of Public Policy at the University of Victoria, joins as discussant. Rod brings decades of experience working in the academic and civil sectors, and has mentored hundreds of students throughout his career.
The Creating a Blue Dialogue webinar series brings together expert water practitioners and thinkers, as well as emerging water leaders, to engage with innovative ideas on water policy and governance in Canada. By creating an online community of interest, the series strengthens the national capacity to engage with and solve problems, and raises awareness about emerging Canadian water issues, best practices, and policies. The series began in 2010 and is hosted by the POLIS Water Sustainability Project at the Centre for Global Studies, University of Victoria.