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Water governance and ecosystem function in the Canadian prairies are in a state of crisis. Compounding this crisis, and adding complexity, is the relationship between the water governance authority of the state with Canada's First Peoples. Meaningful engagement of Indigenous peoples in water governance is a necessary requisite to effective water management. This research characterizes the extent and depth of Indigenous engagement in watershed planning in the province of Manitoba, Canada, and examines the degree to which Indigenous rights are incorporated in that engagement. To do so, we analyze evidence of First Nation people's inclusion in water governance, planning, and management processes. We conducted latent and manifest content analyses of watershed plans to identify the themes and frequency of content related to First Nations and Métis engagement and triangulated results with key informant semi-structured interviews and document reviews of water governance policies and legislation. Overall, we find that Indigenous engagement in Manitoba water governance has increased over time but is still lacking adequate recognition and implementation of Aboriginal and Treaty rights. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Assumptions of trust in water systems are widespread in higher-income countries, often linked to expectations of "modern water." The current literature on water and trust also tends to reinforce a technoscientific approach, emphasizing the importance of aligning water user perceptions with expert assessments. Although such approaches can be useful to document instances of distrust, they often fail to explain why patterns differ over time, and across contexts and populations. Addressing these shortcomings, we offer a relational approach focused on the trustworthiness of hydro-social systems to contextualize water-trust dynamics in relation to broader practices and contexts. In doing so, we investigate three high-profile water crises in North America where examples of distrust are prevalent: Flint, Michigan; Kashechewan First Nation; and the Navajo Nation. Through our theoretical and empirical examination, we offer insights on these dynamics and find that distrust may at times be a warranted and understandable response to experiences of water insecurity and injustice. We examine the interconnected experiences of marginality and inequity, ontological and epistemological injustice, unequal governance and politics, and histories of water insecurity and harm as potential contributors to untrustworthiness in hydro-social systems. We close with recommendations for future directions to better understand water-trust dynamics and address water insecurity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sproule-Jones, M., C. Johns and B.T. Heinmiller, eds. 2008. McGill-Queen's University Press, 390 pages, ISBN 978-0-7735-3469-8 CDN $29.95 (paper), ISBN 978-0-7735-3468-1 CDN $85.00 (cloth). Reviewed by Robert J. Patrick, Department [...]

SourceWater Protection (SWP) is the process of protecting a drinking water source through land use planning policies and land management activities. The risk of source water contamination is a human health concern even in developed countries such as Canada. Much of the existing SWP literature in the more developed world is centred on small and rural water systems with a focus on capacity needs to support SWP activities and planning. These capacity needs tend to centre on five key elements: political, financial, human, technical and legal. While these contributions have added value to the water resource planning literature in rural areas, there remains a noticeable gap in the literature with respect to SWP activities in metropolitan areas. The purpose of this paper is twofold: first, to report the kinds of source water threats facing metropolitan water systems in Canada; and, second, to explore the utility of the capacity literature with respect to SWP planning in metropolitan Canada. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Saskatchewan River Basin (SRB) is a vital and essential resource for the three Canadian prairie provinces of Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. The cumulative impacts of past and future development combined with the realities of climate change raise new questions about the current regime of water governance in the region. At present, multiple agencies affect different aspects of water governance across the SRB. This study is a preliminary assessment, based on key informant interviews, of existing water governance efficacy in the SRB. Using a range of probing questions, key informant perceptions regarding the strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities respecting water governance in the SRB are uncovered. The findings of this study suggest that the advantages of the current fragmented, multiagency regime of water governance in the SRB are outnumbered by the disadvantages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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This paper presents an urban water management framework consisting of six requisites for effective water management identified based on a literature review: source water protection; stormwater management; water conservation; water pricing; wetland conservation; and drought management. The objective was to test the requisite framework in three Canadian urban centres within a region of increasing water stress, the Canadian Prairie. The findings point to variable water management efficiency across the study region and to requisite selection being regionally dependent. A common set of requisites may not be suitable for all urban regions when attempting to assess effective urban water management. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]