Conservation and resilience in the Gulf Islands in the age of climate change and biodiversity loss: A webinar series
A lunch-and-learn webinar series tackling relevant topics being explored by governments at all levels to address the twin biodiversity and climate crises, with a specific focus on the Coastal Douglas-fir habitats characteristic of the Gulf Islands.
Join us at noon every Wednesday in November for an hour-long expert panel discussion followed by a 30 minute question period to learn more about complex environmental issues and the options for better environmental policy and protection in the Gulf and Howe Sound islands. Speakers include representatives from BC-based organizations like Project Watershed and West Coast Environmental Law; scientific experts from academic institutions including Stanford and Simon Fraser University; and government branches including the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
All sessions will be streamed to our Youtube and Facebook pages and recorded and available for viewing there afterwards for those who are unable to attend the live session.
1. Freshwater availability: Options for maintaining a healthy water supply into the future
November 3 2021, shared from Raincoast Conservation Foundation
According to a 2020 study that assessed freshwater vulnerabilities in western Canada, under a high emissions scenario, annual summer precipitation is projected to decrease by up to 32% by 2100 in the Vancouver Island coastal region. Over the past several years, increasingly severe summer drought on the Gulf Islands has put freshwater availability at the forefront of many islanders’ minds and recently discussions have turned towards potential solutions to this problem, including desalination plants. Though desalination technology has been increasingly adopted and adapted to secure reliable freshwater supply in water-scarce regions around the world since the 1950s, most scientific studies demonstrate that the high energy demands and hypersaline outflows resulting from desalination processes make this technology highly impactful on marine and terrestrial environments.
To address these concerns and others around freshwater availability, the webinar will begin with a presentation by Dr. Diana Allen, hydrogeologist and professor at Simon Fraser University who will provide a high-level overview of water availability and how it is expected to change over time using Gabriola Island as a case study. Next, Bridget Gile, a civil and environmental engineering PhD student at Stanford University will present a 2020 California-based case study examining strategies available for maintaining freshwater supply in seasonally dry regions increasingly struggling with human-pressure exacerbated by climate change. John Millson of Salt Spring Island Water Preservation Society will then present options for local action that attendees can try on their own properties.
Featured Guests
Dr. Diana M. Allen, Professor, Department of Earth Sciences, Simon Fraser University
Diana Allen is Professor of Hydrogeology in the Department of Earth Sciences at Simon Fraser University. Her research focuses on studying the processes that take place as natural groundwater systems respond to stressors like climate change, developing strategies to assess risks to water security, and ultimately, informing decision-makers and policies.
Bridget Carolyn Gile, Stanford PhD Candidate
Bridget Gile is a civil and environmental engineering PhD student and Knight-Hennessy Scholar at Stanford University. She graduated from Villanova University in 2019 with a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering. Bridget aspires to create more sustainable and resilient water systems by linking research, policy, and practice through a “one water” management approach. In her graduate work, she studies the role that alternative water supply strategies, including water reuse, stormwater capture, and desalination, can play in shaping a sustainable, drought-resistant water supply portfolio. She finds that water powerfully illustrates the interconnectedness of social and environmental outcomes.
John Millson, Salt Spring Water Preservation Society
John Millson has graduate and post-graduate degrees in geosciences and has spent over 30 years working in resource exploitation industries. From undergraduate options to world experiences, he has developed a keen awareness of water resources, their management, and associated challenges. He is currently a board member of the Salt Spring Island Water Preservation Society (WPS) and the Project Manager for the WPS, “Salt Spring Island FreshWater Catalogue” – a project about improving understanding of our island’s freshwater – a delicate water balance.