The Sustainable Water Management in the Athabasca River Basin Initiative (the ARB Initiative or Initiative) was an innovative project to identify water management issues, assess opportunities, and propose ways to build resilience to change. It examined surface water quantity in the Athabasca River mainstem and major tributaries, considering implications of changes in streamflow for certain water quality parameters as well as the effects of basin landscape and climate change on streamflow.
An inclusive and diverse Working Group comprising representatives from across the basin openly shared knowledge, experience, perspectives, and ideas for a well-managed watershed in the ARB. The group used a collaborative modelling process and an integrated modelling tool (the Athabasca Integrated River Model or AIRM) to inform and drive the discussion. The AIRM enabled the Working Group to explore mitigation, adaptation, and management opportunities in response to a range of potential climate, land use, and development changes in the ARB. Participants, many of whom had disparate goals, could then design strategies to examine how individual or cumulative changes in land use, climate, and river systems affected water availability and identify solutions that satisfied their objectives. The Working Group included:
The Working Group identified 10 challenges facing the region and subsequently proposed 12 strategies to address them. The modelling was then used to illustrate the strategy and results, and to support discussion on the benefits, trade-offs, implementation feasibility, and an assessment as to whether the strategy was most promising, least promising, or uncertain. The 12 strategies and the six recommendations for sustainable water management in the ARB are outlined at a high level below.
Download the Summary Article here ARB Initiative Summary Article (accessed Feb 13, 2024)
Download the Slides here ARB Initiative Slide Presentation (accessed Feb 13, 2024)
Download the Final Report here ARB Initiative Final Report (accessed Feb 13, 2024)
If you are interested in additional information on each of the strategies or the ARB Initiative, please click here to see an online compilation of the final report and other information available.
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Ross has extensive executive experience in Operations, Governance, Information Technology and Strategy at the board and senior management level including Mancal Corporation, Mancal Energy, Highridge Exploration and Atlantis Resources. He has worked in Oil and Gas, Coal, Commercial Real Estate, Portfolio Management, Recreation, Retail and Water and Wastewater Treatment. His experience is also geographically diverse having overseen operations in Canada, the United States, United Kingdom and Northern Ireland. Additionally, he has been on the board of companies with operations in Argentina, Azerbaijan, Barbados, Kazakhstan, and Russia. He has served on numerous Public, Private and Not for Profit Boards across a number of industries.
Ross has been active on several industry Boards and committees including the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers (CAPP) and The Schulich School of Engineering Industry Advisory Council at the Schulich School of Engineering.
Brian is a seasoned Cleantech entrepreneur with a proven history of successfully bringing complex water technologies to the market. With over 25 years of experience, he has led various organizations to achieve significant milestones in the industry.
Having started as the founding CEO of the Pressure Pipe Inspection Company (PPIC) and later taking the helm at the Water Technology Acceleration Project (WaterTAP), Brian’s entrepreneurial spirit has been instrumental in driving innovation and growth within the sector.
He is an active investor in the cleantech sector and has served on many boards including the Ontario Clean Water Agency.
Actively engaged in industry associations like AWWA, WEF, IWA, and ASCE, Brian enjoys collaborating with fellow professionals to promote advancements in the field.
Brian holds an undergraduate degree and a PhD in Physics from Queen’s University, which has provided him with a solid technical foundation. As a member of the Institute of Corporate Directors, he brings valuable insights to corporate governance.