Water Stewardship Information Sources
| Citation | Hunter, R. 2014. The Cowichan Watershed Board: An evolution of collaborative watershed governance. POLIS Proejct on Ecological Governance. |
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| Organization | Uvic |
| URL | http://poliswaterproject.org/sites/default/files/CWBCaseStudy_WebFINAL_0.pdf |
| Abstract/Description or Keywords | In the Cowichan Valley on eastern Vancouver Island, a remarkable story is unfolding. This story is about communities that have organized to lead and advocate for better management of their heritage watershed. Community opinion leaders have recognized that the cumulative impacts of a variety of factors are combining to push the Cowichan watershed towards a tipping point. These factors include: • Past uncoordinated land and water use decisions by all levels of government related to, for example, urban and industrial development, transportation, and forest practices; • Increased frequency and intensity of droughts related to climate change; • Continued population growth and related water use pressures; • The declining capacity of provincial and federal governments to fulfill their mandates due to severe budget cuts; and • Issues related to rights, including First Nations’ rights, property rights, and rights to clean water. Local community opinion leaders and elected officials understand that a different model of watershed governance and management is essential to ensure the Cowichan watershed continues to thrive (see Box Governance and Why It Matters). This case study describes the formative approaches that have been adopted in the Cowichan and some of the lessons learned, to date, from the Cowichan Watershed Board's continuing journey towards locally based collaborative watershed governance. |
| Information Type | report |
| Regional Watershed | Vancouver Island South |
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| Project status | complete |
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