McGill conference to tackle water issues
Environment Minister to deliver keynote address
What are the biggest water issues that Canada and the world will face over the next 10-25 years? What would it take to become an international leader when it comes to these challenges? What are the ethical and ecological implications of selling water? Is there an impending water crisis in Canada, and should we develop a new way of thinking about water?
On March 25 and 26, The McGill Institute for the Study of Canada (MISC) will present its 2010 conference, Canadian Water: Towards a New Strategy, at McGill University's Faculty Club (3450 McTavish Street), where The Honourable Jim Prentice, Canada's Minister of the Environment, will deliver a keynote address.
Practitioners and academics will come together to address the issues surrounding water that may very well come to dominate economic and environmental debate in the coming decades, at home and abroad: what the future holds for the world's water supply, whether water should be characterized as a public or an economic good, the need for coherence between domestic and international water regimes, and the roles various stakeholders - government, business, civil society, media - might play.
"In the wake of the Copenhagen climate talks, the world is coming to grips with the realization that environmental sustainability will require a coordinated international approach, and how we deal with water will be central to that strategy. As one of the countries with the most natural resources on the planet, Canada is in a position to take the lead on this crucial aspect of environmental and trade policy," said Prof. Antonia Maioni, Director of the MISC and co-chair of the conference.
"We must look seriously at how we can use, manage, and share our water in sustainable ways. Are Canadians up to the task? This conference, and the stimulating debates we expect will characterize it, will definitely contribute toward answering that question."
Mr. Prentice's address will take place at 1:30 on March 26. Other confirmed speakers and panelists include The Honourable Charlene Johnson, Minister of Environment and Conservation, Government of Newfoundland and Labrador & President, Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment; Zafar Adeel, Director, Institute for Water, Environment & Health, United Nations University; David W. Schindler, Killam Memorial Chair & Professor, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta; James P. Bruce, Canadian Policy Representative, Soil and Water Conservation Society and former co-chair, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change; Christopher Hilkene, Lead Member of National Roundtable on the Environment and the Economy (NRTEE) Water Project and President, Clean Water Foundation; Margaret Catley-Carlson, Chair of the Global Agenda Council of the World Economic Forum and Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees of the International Water Management Institute; Lili-Anna Pereŝa, Executive Director, ONE DROP Foundation; and Nik Nanos, President and CEO, Nanos Research.
Since 1995 the MISC has hosted large-scale annual conferences which foster informed, non-partisan discussions of issues affecting Canadians, ranging from Quebec-Canada relations, Aboriginal issues, citizenship and health-care to Canadian media, the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, food, and cultural policy.
On the Web: https://www.mcgill.ca/water2010/
