Socio-hydrology and the science–policy interface: a case study of the Saskatchewan River basin
While there is a popular perception that Canada is a water-rich country, the Saskatchewan River basin (SRB) in Western Canada exemplifies the multiple threats to water security seen worldwide. It is Canada's major food-producing region and home to globally significant natural resource developme...
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ftdoajarticles:oai:doaj.org/article:0b6805fd62914a79ac9783ce727c6a19 2023-05-15T16:16:54+02:00 Socio-hydrology and the science–policy interface: a case study of the Saskatchewan River basin P. Gober H. S. Wheater 2014-04-01T00:00:00Z https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-18-1413-2014 https://doaj.org/article/0b6805fd62914a79ac9783ce727c6a19 EN eng Copernicus Publications http://www.hydrol-earth-syst-sci.net/18/1413/2014/hess-18-1413-2014.pdf https://doaj.org/toc/1027-5606 https://doaj.org/toc/1607-7938 1027-5606 1607-7938 doi:10.5194/hess-18-1413-2014 https://doaj.org/article/0b6805fd62914a79ac9783ce727c6a19 Hydrology and Earth System Sciences, Vol 18, Iss 4, Pp 1413-1422 (2014) Technology T Environmental technology. Sanitary engineering TD1-1066 Geography. Anthropology. Recreation G Environmental sciences GE1-350 article 2014 ftdoajarticles https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-18-1413-2014 2022-12-31T03:53:52Z While there is a popular perception that Canada is a water-rich country, the Saskatchewan River basin (SRB) in Western Canada exemplifies the multiple threats to water security seen worldwide. It is Canada's major food-producing region and home to globally significant natural resource development. The SRB faces current water challenges stemming from (1) a series of extreme events, including major flood and drought events since the turn of the 21st century, (2) full allocation of existing water resources in parts of the basin, (3) rapid population growth and economic development, (4) increasing pollution, and (5) fragmented and overlapping governance that includes the provinces of Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba, various Federal and First Nations responsibilities, and international boundaries. The interplay of these factors has increased competition for water across economic sectors and among provinces, between upstream and downstream users, between environmental flows and human needs, and among people who hold different values about the meaning, ownership, and use of water. These current challenges are set in a context of significant environmental and societal change, including widespread land modification, rapid urbanization, resource exploitation, climate warming, and deep uncertainties about future water supplies. We use Sivapalan et al.'s (2012) framework of socio-hydrology to argue that the SRB's water security challenges are symptoms of dynamic and complex water systems approaching critical thresholds and tipping points. To Sivapalan et al.'s (2012) emphasis on water cycle dynamics, we add the need for governance mechanisms to manage emergent systems and translational science to link science and policy to the socio-hydrology agenda. Article in Journal/Newspaper First Nations Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles Canada Hydrology and Earth System Sciences 18 4 1413 1422 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles |
op_collection_id |
ftdoajarticles |
language |
English |
topic |
Technology T Environmental technology. Sanitary engineering TD1-1066 Geography. Anthropology. Recreation G Environmental sciences GE1-350 |
spellingShingle |
Technology T Environmental technology. Sanitary engineering TD1-1066 Geography. Anthropology. Recreation G Environmental sciences GE1-350 P. Gober H. S. Wheater Socio-hydrology and the science–policy interface: a case study of the Saskatchewan River basin |
topic_facet |
Technology T Environmental technology. Sanitary engineering TD1-1066 Geography. Anthropology. Recreation G Environmental sciences GE1-350 |
description |
While there is a popular perception that Canada is a water-rich country, the Saskatchewan River basin (SRB) in Western Canada exemplifies the multiple threats to water security seen worldwide. It is Canada's major food-producing region and home to globally significant natural resource development. The SRB faces current water challenges stemming from (1) a series of extreme events, including major flood and drought events since the turn of the 21st century, (2) full allocation of existing water resources in parts of the basin, (3) rapid population growth and economic development, (4) increasing pollution, and (5) fragmented and overlapping governance that includes the provinces of Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba, various Federal and First Nations responsibilities, and international boundaries. The interplay of these factors has increased competition for water across economic sectors and among provinces, between upstream and downstream users, between environmental flows and human needs, and among people who hold different values about the meaning, ownership, and use of water. These current challenges are set in a context of significant environmental and societal change, including widespread land modification, rapid urbanization, resource exploitation, climate warming, and deep uncertainties about future water supplies. We use Sivapalan et al.'s (2012) framework of socio-hydrology to argue that the SRB's water security challenges are symptoms of dynamic and complex water systems approaching critical thresholds and tipping points. To Sivapalan et al.'s (2012) emphasis on water cycle dynamics, we add the need for governance mechanisms to manage emergent systems and translational science to link science and policy to the socio-hydrology agenda. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
P. Gober H. S. Wheater |
author_facet |
P. Gober H. S. Wheater |
author_sort |
P. Gober |
title |
Socio-hydrology and the science–policy interface: a case study of the Saskatchewan River basin |
title_short |
Socio-hydrology and the science–policy interface: a case study of the Saskatchewan River basin |
title_full |
Socio-hydrology and the science–policy interface: a case study of the Saskatchewan River basin |
title_fullStr |
Socio-hydrology and the science–policy interface: a case study of the Saskatchewan River basin |
title_full_unstemmed |
Socio-hydrology and the science–policy interface: a case study of the Saskatchewan River basin |
title_sort |
socio-hydrology and the science–policy interface: a case study of the saskatchewan river basin |
publisher |
Copernicus Publications |
publishDate |
2014 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-18-1413-2014 https://doaj.org/article/0b6805fd62914a79ac9783ce727c6a19 |
geographic |
Canada |
geographic_facet |
Canada |
genre |
First Nations |
genre_facet |
First Nations |
op_source |
Hydrology and Earth System Sciences, Vol 18, Iss 4, Pp 1413-1422 (2014) |
op_relation |
http://www.hydrol-earth-syst-sci.net/18/1413/2014/hess-18-1413-2014.pdf https://doaj.org/toc/1027-5606 https://doaj.org/toc/1607-7938 1027-5606 1607-7938 doi:10.5194/hess-18-1413-2014 https://doaj.org/article/0b6805fd62914a79ac9783ce727c6a19 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-18-1413-2014 |
container_title |
Hydrology and Earth System Sciences |
container_volume |
18 |
container_issue |
4 |
container_start_page |
1413 |
op_container_end_page |
1422 |
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1766002753168998400 |