Natural Resources Law Center 2002 Summer Conference
International Water Conference Exceeds Expectations
"The organizers of this conference are a 'different group' of Americans," joked Professor Wang Xi, of Wuhan University (China), reflecting on the unusual goal of the gathering to import-rather than export-water management lessons to the United States. The conference was, admittedly, a different type of event, both for the Natural Resources Law Center, and for the participants and audience accustomed to international water conferences long on posturing but short on synthesis and real learning. Importantly, participants appreciated the differences as well, rating the June conclave as the best conference ever and a fitting way to celebrate the organization's 20th anniversary.
The first noticeable difference this year was the addition of three field trip opportunities on Monday. Two went off without a hitch: the first exploring the Colorado-Big Thompson Project, and the second to examine water management activities and locations in the Boulder Valley. While attendees enjoyed sunny skies on these forays, a much-anticipated trip to the Upper South Platte watershed, including a look at the proposed Two Forks dam site, was cancelled due to the Hayman fire-dozens of miles away, but closing access to areas south of Denver.
A second difference included the addition of Contributed Papers offered free to the public, and presented by more than 40 individuals in four concurrent sessions. Leading them off was a panel headed by Patricia Wouters, Director of the International Water Law Research Institute (Dundee, Scotland), that discussed the complexities of reconciling values and realities across the globe. Following a morning of contributed papers, David Hayes (former Deputy Secretary, U.S. Department of the Interior) addressed a luncheon crowd on federal and state decision making. Concurrent sessions filled the afternoon, then a packed hall heard Peter Gleick's evening's keynote address Gleick, Director of the Pacific Institute for Studies in Development, Environment and Security (Oakland, California) used California as a jumping-off point for his examination of global issues and challenges. The extremely diverse range of domestic and international water issues was explored by individuals from Australia, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Costa Rica, Cuba, Germany, India, Japan, Mexico, Nepal, Thailand, Turkey, and Vietnam.
On Wednesday, University of Colorado geographer Jim Wescoat opened the conference by showing that while the importation of water management lessons to the United States was rare, it was not completely without precedent. Professors Chuck Howe, University of Colorado, and Helen Ingram, University of California-Irvine, lead and coordinated sessions that explored the use of markets and governmental mechanisms to allocate water. Panelist presentations highlighted experiences throughout South America, Australia, Asia, and Europe, and emphasized the importance of nesting market mechanisms within well-designed governmental structures, and of ensuring that the full spectrum of water values and distributional concerns are addressed in allocation frameworks.
On Thursday, the focus shifted to the protection of environmental interests in water, and to the challenge of honoring indigenous rights in modern water management regimes. These twin topics were balanced admirably by David Getches, University of Colorado Law School, and Sarah Van de Wetering, a Missoula writer and attorney and former Associate Director of the Natural Resources Law Center. International panelists provided lessons from South Africa, Brazil, China, and Australia. As expected, the theme of protecting public values in water management was shown to be a nearly universal concern, pursued worldwide through a variety of imperfect strategies.
On Friday, transboundary issues took center stage in a lively discussion lead by University of Oregon professor Aaron Wolf. International and interstate issues were addressed, as well as disputes between sectors, values, cultures, and management approaches. Presentations focused on conflict resolution and cooperative management in several international basins, including the Mekong, Ovavango (in southern Africa), the West Bank, Ganges and Danube, as well as the Colorado and Columbia basins in North America. This broadly focused discussion provided a natural segue to the event's final session chaired by Dan Tarlock, Chicago-Kent School of Law, and Lakshman Guruswamy, University of Colorado Law School. Returning the conference to the central theme of sustainability, this closing discussion helped provide a context for evaluating the merits of the lessons identified.
Tucked within this formidable agenda was a luncheon presentation by Deborah Moore, former Commissioner to the World Commission on Dams. Other activities included "brown bag" discussions led by Colorado Supreme Court Justice Gregory Hobbs and Colorado Water Judge Jonathan Hays. Equally valuable were the festivities occurring "under the tent," at the Flagstaff cookout, and the Hydrosphere-sponsored reception, where new friendships blossomed and collaborations enjoined.
The scale of the conference was unprecedented for the Natural Resources Law Center, requiring nearly 18 months of planning, the use of a special advisory committee, and support from a variety of co-sponsors and contributors. To all those parties that provided assistance, we are truly grateful. It was clearly worth the effort and expense-and even a few (additional) gray hairs.
A collection of conference materials is currently being prepared, and will be available in CD form for $10 from the Natural Resources Law Center. The book based on this event can be found here, In Search Of Sustainable Water Management.
