NWT RESEARCH DATABASE

Regions: North Slave Region, South Slave Region

Tags: water quality, social sciences, water monitoring, water management

Objective(s): To determine the extent to which collaboration can contribute to socially and environmentally sustainable transboundary water governance where power asymmetries exist and to identify strategies and tactics that can be used by less powerful actors to achieve their goals in water management agreements.

Project Description: The primary objective of this research is to determine the extent to which collaboration can contribute to socially and environmentally sustainable transboundary water governance where power asymmetries exist. A secondary objective is to identify strategies and tactics that can be used by less powerful actors to achieve their goals in water management agreements. Data will be collected via semi-structured interviews with territorial, Indigenous and federal government officials. Questions will be based on each participants' experiences with and knowledge of i) collaboration and ii) transboundary water governance. Each interview is expected to last approximately one hour. With the permission of each interviewee, the interview will be audio-recorded. The interview will be transcribed immediately and sent to the interviewee to ensure the accuracy of the recording and to allow the interviewees to clarify any points they wish. Participants will include current and former government officials, non-governmental organization and industry employees. The group will include adult males and females between the ages 25-65. The principal investigator will recruit potential participants via email or telephone to schedule and obtain consent to conduct an interview. The sought-after participants will be chosen because of their current or former involvement in governing water in the Mackenzie River Basin, or other agencies and organizations involved in governance for water in the basin. Additional individuals may be recruited through recommendations from interviewees. The purpose of the interview and proposed research will be outlined at the time of initial communication with the participant. Contact information will be provided to the participants so that if necessary they may contact the principal investigator to ask any questions they have. When this research is complete, the principal investigator will prepare posters that explain the major research findings for display at community halls and public libraries. The hope is that the work will contribute to identify strategies that downstream jurisdictions can use to achieve their goals in water management agreements. The primary benefit from this work will be educational. An executive summary of the research findings will be available to all interviewees. If they desire, a copy of the dissertation will also be made available to all interviewees. The fieldwork for this study will be conducted from September 30, 2013 to December 31, 2013.