The need for a clear agricultural water policy in British Columbia has never been greater. Without access to water, there will be no agriculture. But that does not mean that the agricultural community should not work towards improving food security with efficient and responsible water use.

This video is of a panel discussion I partipated in looking at agricultural water policy in the Cariboo and Okanagan regions of British Columbia.

In the panel we discussed some of the challenges of meeting the goals of the Water Sustainability Act. I emphasized the need to be proactive and develop integrated, ‘win-win’ solutions. Policy should focus on education and incentives for water conservation and climate adaptation. Policy focused solely on a regulatory approach will not solve British Columbia’s water challenges, nor any other complex social issues of our time.

This discussion was part of a series on agricultural water policy challenges in a changing climate. This webinar series was sponsored by UBC Okanagan and the Agricultural Climate Adaptation Research Network.