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 ContextFarming 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 memberManitoba 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