Tim's Honours Thesis

Cooperative Management of Urban Water Resources:A Case Study of Peterborough, ON

byTimothy M. ShahA thesispresented to Trent Universityin fulfillment of thehonours program for the degree of Bachelor of ArtsinEnvironmental and Resource Studies & Human GeographyPeterborough, Ontario, Canada, 2010

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Abstract

Planning for water resources is increasingly gaining significance in Canada. Municipalitiesacross the country are facing challenges in bringing about sustainable water resourcesmanagement initiatives in order to maintain adequate water quality and quantity for the future.With constrained municipal budgets, the financing of large water infrastructural projects hasbecome even more difficult. A practical and cost-effective approach for dealing with current andforthcoming challenges would be through the creation of an urban water committee that enablesthe city to more holistically manage its water resources. This study explores whether or not theCity of Peterborough, Ontario could benefit from the creation of a committee composed of stakeholders who have professional responsibilities related to water management/planningincluding the distribution and treatment of water, public education and outreach, publicconsultation, land use planning/policy and the protection of water resources. By cooperativelydiscussing and planning water resource issues, the stakeholders can work towards advising citycouncil on preventative and practical solutions to the water resource management process. Usinga case study research method and semi-structured interviews, this project examined how thevarious stakeholders in Peterborough are currently involved with water management/planningand what they defined as some of the current challenges and opportunities. This project showstheir perceptions of an urban water committee and how they feel it might or might not work forthe city. The results explain how a committee can improve the efficiency of communication andlearning between relevant stakeholders across geographic space. Ultimately, the study found thata committee can provide a valuable contribution to municipal water resources management,especially in terms of facilitating the input of different stakeholders in the process.

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Acknowledgements

First and foremost, I would like to extend my deepest gratitude to those individuals participatingin this research, who generously offered their time and insights into my project. Without yourefforts, kindness and contributions, this research would not have been possible.I am forever grateful to Professor Karen Morrison for her guidance and strong academic support.Karen, your efforts in continuously challenging me to think critically provided a focus andconfidence in my research which was invaluable in completing this thesis. The entire project wasvery academically enriching and our various meetings and discussions allowed me stay on top of the project and remain focussed on my goals. Your intimate knowledge of policy andmanagement was also very helpful for me in articulating the academic significance of this study.Professor Colin Taylor continuously provided suggestions and feedback to the project making itmore thorough and clear with its objectives. Colin has supervised numerous Physical Geographytheses and this was his first time supervising a Human Geography thesis. I again thank him forbeing so kind and patient. Colin, I thank you for helping me develop my writing skills and instructuring the various chapters. Your recommendations were always very insightful and helpedme significantly with preparing for the thesis seminar presentations.I would also like to thank Professor Mark Skinner. Professor Skinner reviewed and approved myresearch ethics document. Throughout the year he was always willing to sit down and discuss mymethodology and provide tips on how to conduct a good interview. Professor Stephen Hill wasalso kind enough to do a mock interview with me to test my main research method, semi-structured interviews. Thank you again Stephen for taking the time to do this.I am indebted to a number of friends and family members for the numerous contributions thatthey have made to assist me with this project. To my friends, I thank you for continuously askingme questions about the project. This allowed me to constantly explain the project to you whichmade my overall objectives clearer in my mind. To everyone who offered support, feedback andedits throughout the project: I am extremely grateful and appreciative.