What We Are Learning This Week with Dr. Doreen Barrie!

Jan. 18, 2021 in POLI 502 Politics of Water

Dr. Barrie is discussing major issues relating to water quality and water scarcity that are being experienced on a global basis. Scientists are predicting a 40% shortfall in the available water within the next decade or two.

 

Can you tell us a little more about this topic?

“In the American West, water flows uphill towards money.” This statement exemplifies the lengths to which people will go in their quest for this irreplaceable substance. Growing scarcity is likely to create conflict unless we act pre-emptively to address the allocation of this essential resource.

The course will explore the political dimensions of water including an overview of global water issues, the nature of governance in Canada, and allocation systems employed to manage the resource.

What else do you cover in your course?

Historically, governments have been solely responsible for decision-making in this area. However, there is now a move towards shared governance, allowing a broader spectrum of groups including Watershed Councils and environmental groups to have some input.

A different approach is to leave decision-making to the marketplace where water rights are traded between willing buyers and sellers. Water markets have been touted as one solution to scarcity and we will be examining markets in Australia and the United States to determine what lessons Alberta might learn from them.

How did you come to develop this course?

There’s plenty of research on water done by scientists and legal scholars but less by political scientists. Since politicians are the major decision-makers on these matters, it is important to examine water through a political lens.

Finally, what other courses would you recommend for students interested in this topic?

This is an inter-disciplinary topic and students would do well to undertake studies in other disciplines.

 

Our Thanks to Dr. Doreen Barrie for sharing your course with us.