Local Capacity for Groundwater Protection in Ontario |
| |
Authors: | ROB C DE LOË SANDRA E DI GIANTOMASSO REID D KREUTZWISER |
| |
Institution: | (1) Department of Geography, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada, NIG 2W1, CA |
| |
Abstract: | Preventing groundwater contamination is vastly cheaper than remediation. Recognizing this, attention in water and land management
agencies in North America increasingly turn to groundwater protection. Local agencies, such as municipalities and watershed
management districts, are vital to successful groundwater protection, but they face daunting challenges. In the United States,
senior governments have recognized these challenges and provide considerable support for local agencies. In Ontario, Canada,
local agencies are, to a much greater extent, on their own. The aims in this paper are to analyze factors that shape local
capacity for groundwater protection, focusing on Ontario, and to recommend avenues for capacity building. Interrelationships
among five dimensions of capacity (technical, financial, institutional, social, and political) are explored through an analysis
of three smaller Ontario communities: City of Guelph (population 93,400), Town of Orangeville (population 22,188), and Town
of Erin (population 11,000). Size clearly influences capacity for groundwater protection. However, other considerations unrelated
to size appear to be as important. These other factors include the ability to form horizontal and vertical linkages with external
agencies, political leadership and commitment, and citizen involvement. Thus, smaller communities in Ontario (and other jurisdictions
with limited senior government support) would do well to focus on these areas at the same time as they develop their technical,
financial, and institutional capacity. |
| |
Keywords: | : Groundwater protection Local capacity Municipalities Ontario Canada |
本文献已被 PubMed SpringerLink 等数据库收录! |
|