kate dykman graduate student natural resources institute university of manitoba june 18, 2012
TRANSCRIPT
Learning through Watershed Planning in Manitoba, Canada
Kate DykmanGraduate Student
Natural Resources InstituteUniversity of Manitoba
June 18, 2012
Focus on WaterContamination incidents in Canada highlighted the importance of a multi-barrier approach to source water protection
de Loe, 2010
Manitoba Context
Farming the “Wet Prairie” Challenge of excessive nutrient
loadingDrainage, flooding, drought and
climate change impactsAquatic ecosystem healthWater use and allocation issues,
aging infrastructure
What is being done in Manitoba?
The Water Protection Act,2006, legislated Integrated Watershed Management Planning
23 IWMPs in various stages of completionWatershed Planning Authority, normally
Conservation DistrictsProject Management TeamTechnical Advisory GroupInput from citizens and community groups
The Planning Process
Manitoba Water Stewardship, 2010b
PurposeExamine the changes being made to water governance in Manitoba, and how the new model being tested is contributing to learning for sustainable water management.
Research StrategyQualitative research approachConducted a case study of four Integrated Watershed Management Plans in Manitoba, Two additional alternative models on a sub-watershed level
Case SelectionRange of start dates to encompass the iterative process of planning over time
Restricted to later stage or complete plans
Avoiding duplication with other researchers
Case SelectionIWMPEast Souris (2003)Birdtail/Assiniboine (2006)La Salle River (2006) Willow Creek (2010)AlternativesDeerwood Soil and Water Management
Association working in South Tobacco Creek Watershed (2004)
Stephenfield Lake Watershed Management Plan (2002)
Case Sites
Manitoba Water Stewardship 2010a
Water Council
Project Managemen
t Team
Water Stewards
hip Planners Technical
Advisory Team
Minister
Non-government
al organizatio
ns
Watershed Citizens
Conservation District Boards
IWMP participants
Data collectionPlan Participants
East Souris IWMP Focus group, past CD manager
Birdtail-Assiniboine IWMP 5 PMT members
La Salle River IWMP 4 PMT members
Willow Creek IWMP Focus group, 2 PMT members
Deerwood Soil and Water Management Association
5 Board members, local CD manager
Stephenfield Lake Management Plan
Focus group, local CD manager
Non-governmental organization staff members
5 staff members
Water Council 1 member
Manitoba Water Stewardship Planners
5 planners
Data Analysis Themes derived from social learning
frameworkQ Nvivo software to code data sets
Social Learning Examines the ideal attributes and
potential outcomes of participatory deliberative processes, often applied to problems in natural resource management
Describes the changes in skills and perceptions that move from the individual to the group, or community of practice through these processes(Reed et al, 2010, Muro and Jeffrey, 2008, Schusler el al, 2003)
(Muro and Jeffrey, 2008, Schusler et al, 2003)
IWMPDeliberative
process
Process attributes that foster learning
Social learning outcomes
•Diversity
•Multiple sources of knowledge
•Facilitation
•Extended engagement
•Unrestrained thinking
•Open communication
•Technical knowledge
•Social skills
•Trust and relationships
•New partnerships
•Change in behaviour
•Shared knowledge with network
Social Learning: ProcessFlexibility in the Water Protection
ActFocus on facilitation training and
creating an egalitarian atmosphereMultiple sources of knowledge –
interwoven technical and local inputExtended engagement – multi-year
process
Social Learning: ProcessLimited diversity – drawing on an
interdisciplinary team, but Project Management Team membership formed by municipal politics and the CD program
Getting all parties to the table – government departments
Social Learning: OutcomesSocial skills
Thinking/acting along watershed boundaries, rather than representing organizational interests
Building a case based on both scientific evidence and benefits to landowners
Creating a successful platform for deliberation – from issues to values
Social Learning: OutcomesTechnical knowledge
Enhanced the call for research-based policy
Revised CD board programming
Shared knowledge through partnershipsCreated a new venue for collaboration between government departments, NGOs, and CD boards
Social Learning: OutcomesTrust and relationships
Credibility in the larger community because of the grassroots participation
Upstream-downstream relationships brought into focus – mutual responsibility
Social Learning: OutcomesChange in behaviour
Being an example for others, leadership role in watershed - building off-site watering for cattle, using Lake Friendly products in the home and promoting them to others
Feedback loop between NGO and CDs in terms of communication tools
Preliminary RecommendationsDraw on examples of successful alternative models
outside the IWMP structureMaintain connections between the Project
Management Team, the Technical Advisory Group, and participating NGOs
Compensation for citizen representatives to serve on PMT
Address length of process including review and approval by Minister/Water Council
Create linkages back to the policy level – learning generated at the watershed level is shared with decision-makers
Works CitedArgyris, C. (1977). Double loop learning in organizations. Harvard Business Review 55(Sept/Oct): 115-125. de Loë, R.C. (2010). Challenges for Water Governance in Canada: Source Water Protection. POLIS Webinar
Series: Creating a Blue Dialogue. Retrieved September 23, 2010 from http://polis.na5.acrobat.com/p19332863/?launcher=false&fcsContent=true&pbMode=normal
Manitoba Water Stewardship. (2010). The Conservation Districts Program: a Manitoba success story. Retrieved November 23, 2010 from http://www.gov.mb.ca/waterstewardship/iwmp/documentation/cd_program_brochure_web_version.pdf
Manitoba Water Stewardship. (2010a). Watersheds within a common basin. Retrieved October 10, 2010 from http://www.gov.mb.ca/waterstewardship/iwmp/index.html
Manitoba Water Stewardship. (2010b). Integrated Watershed Management Planning. Retrieved October 10, 2010 from www.gov.mb.ca/waterstewardship/agencies/cd/.../iwmp_brochure.pdf
Manitoba Water Stewardship (2009) Integrated Watershed Management Planning in Western Manitoba Retrieved September 19, 2010 from http://www.manitobamodelforest.net/publications/Integrated%20Watershed%20Management%20Planning%20in%20Western%20Manitoba.pdf
Manitoba Water Stewardship (2006). Conservation Districts in Manitoba. Retrieved September 20, 2011 from http://www.gov.mb.ca/waterstewardship/agencies/cd/cd_map.pdf
Muro, M. and P. Jeffrey. (2008). A critical review of the theory and application of social learning in participatory natural resource management processes. Journal of Environmental Planning and Management, 51(3):325-344.
Neuman, W. (2000). “The Meanings of Methodology”, in Social Research Methods: Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches, 4th ed. Allyn and Bacon, Boston, 66-88.
Reed, M. S., A. C. Evely, G. Cundill, I. Fazey, J. Glass, A. Laing, J. Newig, B. Parrish, C. Prell, C. Raymond, and L. C. Stringer. (2010). What is social learning? Ecology and Society, 15(4).
Sinclair, A. J., and Diduck, A. P. (2001). Public involvement in EA in Canada: A transformative learning perspective. Environmental Impact Assessment Review, 21:113-136.
Webler, T., Kastenholz, H., and Wendell, O.R. (1999). Public participation in impact assessment: A social learning perspective. Environmental Impact Assessment Review, 15(5): 443-463.
Learning through Watershed Planning in Manitoba, Canada
Thank you