October 31, 2023
The Working for Watersheds initiative is a collaboration between industry, government, Indigenous communities, and several non-profit organizations working to protect and restore healthy watersheds across British Columbia. The initiative has already brought together hundreds of people and organizations with an interest in the watershed sector to identify common goals and opportunities, resulting in an economic impact report, dialogue series, and sector roadmap.
The Watershed Sector Roadmap is a blueprint that lays out a strategic vision for how we grow and develop BC’s watershed sector over the next 5-10 years. It reveals how working together to advance shared priorities will ensure that BC’s watershed sector is sustaining healthy, resilient watersheds and supporting prosperous economies for generations to come.
The Roadmap is the product of collaboration: Delphi led the effort, with support from GLOBE Series and input from industry, government, First Nations, and non-profit organizations. Several organizations and individuals contributed their time and financial resources, including the Vancouver Foundation, BC Freshwater Legacy Initiative, Royal Bank of Canada, Real Estate Foundation of BC, and the BC Ministry of Water, Lands & Resource Stewardship.
The Roadmap was informed by the 2023 Water Innovation Dialogue Series, delivered by GLOBE Series, which brought together a broad spectrum of interested parties to identify near-term innovation and economic development opportunities in BC and beyond. The series included an in-person workshop at the University of Victoria, a virtual First Nations roundtable, three virtual sessions focusing on different aspects of the sector, and a survey to collect additional context and insights.
Delphi was commissioned by the BC Water Funders Collaborative, the BC Freshwater Legacy Initiative, and the POLIS Water Sustainability Project to develop an understanding and profile of the current economic and employment contribution of BC’s watershed sector and its potential for growth.
With the help of a broad range of partners and a project advisory group, the project team:
These activities involved a mix of secondary research, key informant interviews, surveys, and advisory group meetings to bring together a wide range of expertise. The supporting Appendices provide further details on the methods and data used to support the study.
Acknowledgements
The Roadmap is the product of a collaboration that was led by Delphi, with support from GLOBE Series and input from industry, government, First Nations, and non-profit organizations. Several organizations and individuals contributed their time and financial resources to the ongoing work, including the Vancouver Foundation, BC Freshwater Legacy Initiative, Royal Bank of Canada, Real Estate Foundation of BC, and the BC Ministry of Water, Lands & Resource Stewardship.
We thank the BC Assembly of First Nations for providing their expertise and hosting the First Nations virtual roundtable “First Nations Leadership to Protect and Grow our Watershed Sectors”.
We acknowledge the following members of the Project Advisory Group for their dedication and insights:
Tim Morris and Coree Tull, BC Freshwater Legacy Initiative; Oliver Brandes, POLIS; Ben Clark and Sarah Falloon, Delphi; Nic Raytek and Elizabeth Shirt, GLOBE Series; Andrea Reimer, Tawâw Strategies; Zita Botelho, Watersheds BC; Kariann Aarup, AquaAction; Gemma Dunn, GHD; Abbie Morris, BC Investment Agriculture Foundation; Alan Shapiro, Foresight; Jennifer Vigano and Ted Zimmerman, Government of BC; Carmen Stossel, RBC; Leanne Sexsmith, Real Estate Foundation of BC.
