2024 Columbia River Transboundary Water and Ethics Symposium
“Emerging Issues and Public Engagement in the Transboundary Columbia River Basin”
Event Description
Please join us on November 13th - 15th 2024 for a post-election gathering to engage residents of the international Columbia River Basin in public education and dialogue on transboundary issues and public involvement in river governance. We’ll build on our 2019 gathering in Kimberley B.C., and last year's 2023 virtual Re-engagement Symposium. Much is happening in the Basin. We heard from last year's participants that people want further citizen dialogue, participation, and collaborative public engagement. The 2024 conference is hosted by the University of British Columbia Okanagan, the Universities Consortium on Columbia River Governance, the One River Ethics Matter Project, the North American Youth Parliament for Water, and the Climate Institute at Gonzaga University.
Context
At the 2019 conference convened in Kimberley, participants made it clear that formal transboundary public engagement is critical to the future governance of the shared Columbia River Basin. Last year the public spoke out on issues such as salmon reintroduction, Reconciliation, transition to carbon neutral energy, climate change, water quality along the Kootenay and Elk Rivers, agriculture, operation of the dams, the Arrow Lakes, the role of youth in the Basin, and of course governance. Following those dialogues, this year's guiding question asks: "What is the role of public engagement in the transboundary Columbia River Basin and what form of public education is necessary to facilitate that role?". We will include discussions on the ethical and intergenerational goals of public engagement, youth perspectives, and discussions of existing issues identified at last year's event.