Abstract

IJC International Watersheds Initiative: Local Approaches to International Issues
Track: Water Resources
Authors: Ted Yuzyk, Michael Laitta

Shared waters comprise more than 40 percent of the 8,800-kilometer frontier between Canada and the United States, and more than 300 lakes and rivers are part of or traverse the international boundary. Over one hundred years ago, the Boundary Water Treaty acknowledged that this geographic reality can, at times, give rise to disputes between the two countries. The treaty established the International Joint Commission (IJC) to help prevent or resolve these potential conflicts. Over the years, the Commission has developed a number of productive approaches to fulfilling its mandate and assisting the Canadian and United States Governments with trans-border issues. Among these is the International Watersheds Initiative (IWI) whose underlying premise is that water resource and environmental problems can be anticipated, prevented or resolved at the local level before developing into international issues.