Round Table @ work

Water Sustainability and the Future of Canada?s Natural Resource Sectors

(full program description)

Exploring the Changing Role of the Natural Resource Sectors in Canadian Water Governance Workshop

February 1, 2010 - Toronto

The National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy (NRTEE) is undertaking a two year research program on Water Sustainability and the Future of Canada?s Natural Resource Sectors. The program will examine the demands and reliance of agriculture, forestry, mining, and energy sectors on water, and the implications for the sustainability of our economy and ecosystems of the water demands of these sectors. As part of the research agenda, the NRTEE is collaborating with the Water Policy and Governance Group on a workshop designed to explore the changing landscape of water governance in Canada, focusing on implications for industries in the natural resource sectors.
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Multi-stakeholder sector roundtable meetings

The National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy (NRTEE) is undertaking a two-year research program on Water Sustainability and the Future of Canada?s Natural Resource Sectors. The program will examine the demands and reliance of agriculture, energy, mining, and forestry sectors on water, and the implications for the sustainability of our economy and ecosystems.

As part of the research agenda, the NRTEE is collaborating with Canada?s leading industry associations in each of the four sectors to launch a series of multi-stakeholder sector roundtable meetings.

The purpose of these by-invitation meetings is to gain information and facilitate a dialogue amongst practitioners and researchers about the key water use and sustainability issues for each industry, including known and perceived risks and opportunities, water use monitoring and reporting, scarcity, governance, technology, and competitive advantage.

The schedule for these by-invitation meetings is as follows:

October 16 - Mining Sector Roundtable [more...]
in collaboration with the Mining Association of Canada (MAC)

October 28 - Nuclear Sector Roundtable [more...]
in collaboration with the Nuclear Association of Canada

November 3 - Oil and Gas Sector Roundtable [more...]
in collaboration with the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers (CAPP)

November 12 - Agriculture Sector Roundtable
in collaboration with the Canadian Federation of Agriculture (CFA)

November 24 - Forestry Sector Roundtable
in collaboration with the Forest Products Association of Canada (FPAC)

Past Events

September 10, 2009 - Expert Advisory Committee Meeting

February 24, 2009 - Expert Workshop
"Charting a Path: Water and Canada?s Natural Resource Sectors"

On February 24, 2009, the National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy hosted a workshop entitled ?Charting a Path: Water and Canada?s Natural Resource Sectors?. The NRTEE solicited advice from close to 50 stakeholders from across Canada representing the natural resource sectors, academia, Aboriginal, non-governmental organizations and governments. The aim was to inform the NRTEE on where it could provide the greatest value and to confirm the key current and emerging issues and opportunities in the interface between the natural resources sectors, climate change, and water use. (more...)

"Charting a Path" Report Synthesis of Expert Workshop held on February 24, 2009 HTML version PDF version Workshop discussion paper List of participants Expert Advisory Committee Water Sub-committee Program Description For additional information please contact , NRTEE lead, Water Program.

The workshop was chaired by Christopher Hilkene, NRTEE Member and Chair of the Program?s Expert Advisory Committee. NRTEE members Elizabeth Brubaker, Richard Prokopanko, Robert Slater, Robert Dub, and Robert Sopuck were also in attendance. Bill Borland, Chair of the Canadian Water Network and Vice President, Canadian Federal Programs, AMEC Earth Environmental, provided the opening address asking participants to consider where we [Canadians] want to be in terms of management and preserving our freshwater resources in the next 10-20 years. NRTEE Senior Policy Advisor Liza Campbell warned that ?there is no clarity on the extent to which sectors are reliant on a predictable supply of useable water?each sector will have a different vulnerability relationship.?

Based on the advice from participants it was confirmed that the NRTEE is well positioned to take a leadership role ? as a catalyst and convenor ? to work with stakeholders to determine a path towards sustainable water use by the Canadian natural resources sectors. A key message pointed towards the need to identify first what science, knowledge, data and information already exists and how that information can be disseminated through the NRTEE?s recommendations. Governance issues also appeared to be a common concern amongst workshop participants.

President and CEO David McLaughlin closed the event by affirming the NRTEE?s desire to continue to focus attention on the issue of water resource sustainability and the sustainability of our natural resource sectors.

Next steps for the NRTEE will involve:

• Engagement with the NRTEE Members and sub-committee
• Refine program process and research focus
• Establish timelines and detailed research and engagement plan
• Set up water round tables and meetings with sectors
• Initiate research
• Develop a communications plan