This series will be an opportunity for the non-academic community to engage with Lake Futures researchers, as they share their latest research findings and discuss implications for water policies, programs, and plans in Ontario.
Webinars will be offered weekly, on Wednesdays from 1:00-2:00 p.m. EDT. Webinars will include a 30-minute presentation, followed by a 30-minute discussion period.
A new approach and lessons learned: how co-creation, shared spaces, and diversity can improve water monitoring design
Presented by Elaine Ho, PhD Candidate, Social and Ecological Sustainability (Water), School of Environment, Resources and Sustainability
When designing conventional water monitoring programs, the design process is focused on establishing the right monitoring parameters, methodologies, and schedules. Community values are not usually considered and there is limited coordination with decision-makers. Therefore, these programs often fail to consider how the results will inform management decisions or meet the needs of the local community. In this presentation, Elaine proposes a new way of developing monitoring programs that consider cumulative effects, are co-created by diverse stakeholders, and connect monitoring to broader river or lake management decisions. The lower Grand River and nearshore Lake Erie was the focus of her research, and the new monitoring framework that emerged is used a case study for discussion. Elaine will share lessons learned throughout this process, highlighting benefits of community and Indigenous engagement and how to overcome associated challenges.