2008 Cowichan Valley Forum was provincial pilot for building developer and local government capacity to apply the Water Balance Model

About the Educational Approach

In 2008, the Cowichan Valley Learning Lunch Seminar Series provided the springboard to the inaugural Vancouver Island Water Balance Model Forum, hosted by the Cowichan Valley Regional District. The Forum was held in October 2008. Both were provincial pilots and both were part of the rollout of Living Water Smart, British Columbia's Water Plan. The purpose of the Series and the Forum was to facilitate a consistent provincial approach to rainwater management and green infrastructure.

“The Cowichan Valley was the pilot region for an inclusive and collaborative approach to building capacity through education and training,” recalls Jay Bradley, Chair of the Vancouver Island Coordinating Team, a sub-group of the inter-governmental Water Balance Model Partnership. "The Forum was conducted as a hybrid-training workshop to inform, educate and enable those who wish to apply the Water Balance Model to support a Design with Nature approach to land development.”  

“The educational approach is helping us to identify and empower a core group of local champions who will then have the expertise to apply and advance the water balance approach to land development,” adds Peter Nilsen, Deputy Engineer with the District of North Cowichan. “This building of practitioner capacity encompasses both local government and the development community. Project proponents and reviewers will have a common language.”


TO LEARN MORE: To access a set of online stories that elaborate on what was accomplished by the 2008 Forum, click on 2008 Cowichan Valley Water Balance Model Forum: List of Water Bucket Stories. 

The Cowichan Valley Learning Lunch Seminar Series comprised a set of three sessions held during the June - July 2008 period. To access links to a comprehensive set of 16 web stories describing all aspects of the Cowichan Valley series, click on Promoting a consistent approach to Rainwater Management & Green Infrastructure to achieve liveable communities in balance with ecology.