CSPC 2018

Organized by: The University of Waterloo, Tatjana Milojevic and Nancy Goucher

Optimum management of water resources is one of the most crucial challenges for Canada in the 21st Century. Safe and adequate water supply is central to sustainable ecosystems, healthy communities and strong economic growth. However, a widening gap between current management practices and increasing scientific knowledge is testing the adequacy of the current regulatory framework in addressing threats to water, such as those posed by nonpoint source contamination. As climate change increases the uncertainty and complexity for the management of water resources, water managers and researchers will need to understand more about the science-policy interface to improve the response to water threats. These threats demand a new approach to regulation for water protection and water management activities, which require adaptive responses. There is considerable variation in our current knowledge of the changing demands on water resources and in the different stages of adaptive management strategies, which might be improved by implementing water monitoring policies and plans.

This panel examines the perceptions of researchers and water managers working at the science–policy interface across Canada and discusses the implications of their role for addressing nonpoint source contamination in the face of climate change. Our discussion themes include: vulnerability and uncertainty, time lag issues, the need for different skill sets throughout the process, and what can be done to enable scientists and policymakers to work together more effectively to address current and  future water threats.