COLUMBIA RIVER TRANSBOUNDARY GOVERNANCE AND ETHICS SYMPOSIUM 2024
November 13 - November 15
The Columbia River Treaty Modernization, Emerging Initiatives, and Public Governance in the Transboundary Columbia River Basin
November 13th – 15th, 2024
Spokane, WA USA
Please join us on November 13th – 15th 2024, for a gathering to engage residents of the international Columbia River Basin in public education and dialogue on transboundary issues and public involvement in river governance. The 2024 conference is hosted by the University of British Columbia Okanagan, the Universities Consortium on Columbia River Governance, the One River Ethics Matter Project, the North American Youth Parliament for Water, and the Climate Institute at Gonzaga University.
The Symposium will focus on: The Columbia River Treaty Modernization (presented by members of the U.S. and Canada/BC negotiating teams, with an opportunity for public comment) water quality in the headwaters and transboundary mainstem; climate change; and salmon re-introduction and habitat restoration. The guiding principle of the conference is Ethics, defined as Justice and Intergenerational Equity (righting historic wrongs and shared benefits in the context of water development, and the legacy we leave future generations), Autonomy (a voice for the ecosystem), and Stewardship. The guiding principle of Ethics will be the lens through which the conference considers governance now and in the future in the Columbia Basin.
Governance will be considered in its broadest meaning to include formal government and informal efforts to take collective action. It will include discussion of public engagement, transboundary information sharing, and means to connect university research to efforts to address emerging issues in the basin. Information on the forum, a preliminary agenda, and lodging, will be available soon on our website at: https://columbiabasingovernance.org/