Proceedings of the Rosenberg Forum, Banff, Canada
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This limited edition volume of proceedings from the Rosenberg Forum was prepared and distributed by Mountain Culture at The Banff Centre with funding from the Max Bell Foundation. Permission is hereby granted by the publisher to reproduce this document for non-profit and educational purposes. ISBN 978-1-894773-26-3 TABLE OF CONTENTS Opening Remarks …………………………………..................….......…..……….…... 1 Keynote Speakers …………………………………..................….......…..……….….... 7 Factors for Success: Public- and Private-sector Roles in Securing a Safe and Reliable Water Supply in a Time of Global Change Don Lowry .………………………...……………………………..…………………....….... 9 Mountains of the World — Water Towers for the 21st Century Bruno Messerli ….....…………....................................................................………………….…. 20 Upland Watershed Management in the Developing World Sihem Benabdallah ……….....…….................................................……………………….……. 40 Session One ………………………………..................….......…..……….…................... 51 Challenges in Upland Watershed Management: For What? For Whom? Holger Hoff ……………………………..…………………………………………..……… 52 Water Management in Alpine Regions Pedro Arrojo Agudo ………………………...…………………………………………….... 64 Hans Schreier, Session Discussant …………………………………………………………. 79 Discussion ………………………………………………………..........................................…. 93 Session Two ………………………………..................….......…....……….…................... 99 Upland Watershed Management and Global Change — Canada’s Rocky Mountains and Western Plains Dave Sauchyn, Alain Pietroniro and Michael Demuth …………...……………………….. 100 Climate Change and Water Resources: Potential Impacts and Implications Richard M. Adams and Dannele E. Peck ……………………………..……....……….…..… 120 Adèle Hurley, Session Discussant ……………………………………..……………………. 131 Discussion ………………………………………………………..........................................…. 132 Session Three: Case Study One ………..................….......…....…….…................... 141 Systems-hydrology Tools for the Upper Catchments of the Jordan River and Lake Kinneret, Israel Alon Rimmer …………………………………...............................................................……..… 143 Policy and Adaptation in the Jordan Valley Yousef Hasan Ayadi .……………...................................................………………………….….171 Moneef Zou’bi, Session Discussant …………………………………..……………………. 195 Discussion ………………………………………………………..........................................…. 198 Session Three: Case Study Two ………..................….......…....…….…................... 207 A Case Study of the Saskatchewan River System D.W. Schindler and W.F. Donahue …………………………………………………….…... 208 The Honourable Guy Boutilier, Alberta Minister of Environment ….....…………..…….…... 229 The Honourable John Nilson, Saskatchewan Minister of Environment ….....………….…... 233 Discussion ………………………………………………………..........................................…. 237 Session Three: Case Study Three ………...............….......…....…….…................... 243 Impacts of Climate Change on the Management of Upland Waters: The Rhône River Case Jean-Paul Bravard ………………………………………………………………………… 244 Adaptive Management of Upland Rivers Facing Global Change: General Insights and Specific Considerations for the Rhône Basin Claudia Pahl-Wostl, Ger Berkamp and Katharine Cross …………………………………… 273 Alberto Garrido, Session Discussant ………………………………..……………………. 292 Discussion ………………………………………………………..........................................…. 294 Session Three: Case Study Four ...………...............….......…....…….…................... 301 An Overview of the International Joint Commission Jack P. Blaney …………………………………………………………..........……………… 302 The International Joint Commission: A Case Study in the Management of International Waters The Honorable Dennis Schornack and John Nevin ……………………………………… 310 Discussion ………………………………………………………..........................................…. 321 Conference Summary ...………...............….......…....……......................…................... 328 INTRODUCTION In September 2006, environment ministers from Alberta and Saskatchewan, the former Deputy Prime Minister of Canada, and fifty of the world’s experts in water-conservation and -management policy met at The Banff Centre for the Fifth Biennial Rosenberg International Forum on Water Policy. With a focus on upland watersheds and the effect of climate change on dwindling resources, the Forum explored the complex negotiations involved in managing water across borders and boundaries — provincial, state and national. Forum participants included former Deputy Prime Minister the Rt. Hon. Herb Gray, Chair of the Canadian Section of the International Joint Commission (a treaty organization set up in 1909 to resolve transboundary water issues between Canada and the U.S.); Alberta Environment Minister Guy Boutilier; Saskatchewan Environment Minister John Nilson; Dr. Bruno Messerli, Vice- president of the Swiss Academy of Sciences and author of Mountains as Water Towers; Moneef Zou’bi, Director-general of the Islamic Academy of Sciences; and the University of Alberta’s Dr. David Schindler, one of the world’s foremost water experts. These proceedings include the papers presented at the Forum, plus transcription of the discussions that arose from those papers. The Rosenberg International Forum on Water Policy was established in 1996 with an endowment from Bank of America to the University of California Water Resources Center in honour of the Bank’s retiring chairman and CEO, Richard M. Rosenberg. Rosenberg’s lifelong interest and leadership in water policy is recognized through this ongoing global dialogue to enhance the environment and economic growth, reduce water-related conflicts and improve water policy. Previous sessions of the Forum have taken place in San Francisco, Barcelona, Canberra and Ankara. Forum V of the Rosenberg International Forum was sponsored by the University of California, Bank of America, Max Bell Foundation, Alberta Environment, Alberta Ingenuity Centre for Water Research, The Calgary Foundation, Alberta Irrigation Projects Association, the Columbia Basin Trust and The Banff Centre. With the generous support of Max Bell Foundation, this limited-edition volume of proceedings from the Forum is being distributed to key libraries across Canada. OPENING REMARKS Henry Vaux, Chair, Rosenberg Forum: There are 52 participants from 24 countries at this fifth edition of the Rosenberg International Forum. The institutional host of this year’s Forum is The Banff Centre, which has made its superb facilities available to us for the duration of the Forum. Leslie Taylor, with Mountain Culture, has provided the leadership here and has worked tirelessly on all the details surrounding this Forum for almost two years; we will acknowledge Leslie and her efforts a little later in the program. To welcome you here on behalf of The Banff Centre this morning, it is my pleasure to introduce Ms. Sarah Iley, who is Vice-president of Programming at The Banff Centre. Mountain Culture, which is the hosting group here, is one of her activities. So please join me in welcoming Ms. Sarah Iley. Sarah Iley, Vice-president of Programming, The Banff Centre: On behalf of the Board of Governors of The Banff Centre — and I want to acknowledge one of them who’s in the room today, Don Lowry, who is one of your speakers — and also on behalf of our president, Mary Hofstetter, and the whole Banff Centre team, it’s my very great pleasure to welcome you here for the Fifth Biennial Rosenberg International Forum on Water Policy. I’ve had a chance to look at your itinerary, and I imagine that you’ve had a terrific couple of days so far, exploring the [Columbia] Icefield and some of our very beautiful lakes. I hope that the next two days of discussion are equally inspiring, because — as you’ll see from some of the banners hanging around the campus — we’re in the business, here at The Banff Centre, of inspiring creativity. For almost 75 years, the impact of our stunning mountain location, together with the creative atmosphere, the diverse group of participants from many backgrounds and disciplines, and the strong support from Centre staff, have combined to make a powerful experience for everyone who comes here. And I’m glad that you will have the opportunity to enjoy that environment, atmosphere, diversity and staff support. Just a little bit about The Banff Centre: We’re a post-secondary learning institution that was set up by the Province of Alberta. Originally founded in 1933, we began with a single summer course in drama. Today, we are a year-round hive of activity, serving as a catalyst for creative thought, as well as the creation of new work, in 12 arts disciplines, in management leadership and in the area of mountain culture. Our programs and our conferences are designed to provide for individual and group renewal and transformation, encouraging participants to question assumptions, explore ideas, embrace change and exemplify excellence. Over the last decade, we have expanded and broadened our programming in the area of the mountain environment, and it’s for that reason that we are particularly pleased to be the local hosts for the 2006 Rosenberg Forum. As many of you know, we held an important international summit here during 2003, the International Year of Freshwater. The event was called Mountains as Water Towers, an evocative phrase created by Professor Bruno Messerli, and we’re honoured that he’s here with us again today. Since that pivotal event, the Banff Centre’s commitment