Running on Empty: Alberta's pending resource problems

Date
2011-04-01
Authors
Oram, Michael
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Publisher
University of Regina Graduate Students' Association
Abstract

Southern Alberta is facing a looming resource crisis that surprisingly has nothing to do with oil. The South Saskatchewan River Basin, which is the only river system that does not flow north, is at or has exceeded maximum water allotment for the region. This has created an impending crisis considering that the majority of the Alberta population lives in the southern region, including the sprawling metropolis that is Calgary. Several attempts have been made at solving this looming problem such as the new Alberta Land Use Framework, amendments to the Alberta MGA and various development plans such as the County of Rocky View’s Growth Management Strategy. However, with little to no collaboration between governing bodies and no proposed plans to ease the stresses on the South Saskatchewan River Basin, the problem remains prevalent. What options do policy makers have to solve this problem and how can this issue, which is largely ignored at the political level, be put on the public agenda? This presentation will explore these issues and there implications within both Alberta and Saskatchewan.

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Keywords
Water, Policy, Environment, Alberta, Saskatchewan, South Saskatchewan River Basin, Calgary, Urban Development, Land Use Planning, Resource Management, Natural Resources
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